Still Around
by ME LOVEY JAZZY
Summary: Damon adopts a baby girl at a young age and she becomes the apple of his eye. As she grows up, so does Damon. What will change when he decides to marry? Why does she come to hate him and vow to get her revenge? Will she ever forgive him? Better summary inside. D/R S/OC S/E, later D/B Daddy!Damon. Original Family joins later! Kol/OC Matt/Bekah. Inspired by 3OH!3's Still Around.
1. Just the Beginning

Still Around

Chapter One

**A/N: So I've never written Vampire Diaries before, this was something new. It's really just a little plot bunny that found its way into my head. This was somewhat inspired by ****"Still Around" by 3OH!3****. I don't know if I will continue this, but it feels like a good storyline. **

**Background: Damon adopts a baby girl at a young age; his parents don't really support this decision because they had him at a young age. Stefan is the same age as Damon's new child, making it even weirder for his parents. As his precious baby grows up, life changes for the entire family with Damon's engagement. When Damon reprioritizes to fit his new needs will there still be room for his past, or will some things get left behind? All human.**

**Note: This will be a working backwards story; we start in the middle, move forward, and then go back to find out what happens.**

The backstage of the first official show of the year was thick, heavy, and detestably warm with tense performers, their faces twisted into worry and nervousness, darkened crew members, and screeching directors. Shadows fell upon unused backdrops, casting looming figures and scary ideas into any imagination that they could capture, instilling the dark ideas of a devil town. The light focused toward the stage, everywhere else a kind of hazy, dim scene. It was getting dimmer as showtime neared, both an ending and a beginning for all backstage.

All good luck had abandoned me at the door, even if I had broken a leg I still would not have gotten the attention from my father that I had come to so desperately crave.

"Are you sure? It's not just a false alarm?" My dad spoke worriedly into his phone. He was pacing, a tumbler of whiskey in his other hand, provided only for the adults backstage.

I stepped over to the heavy velvet curtain and peeked around it. They were there, front row and center, just as they had promised. I knew that I could trust them…my own father on the other hand, now _that's_ a different story.

"Sara," He called me over from my spot behind the curtain. I turned and prayed silently that it wouldn't happen again, that I wouldn't be second best again.

"Yes?" I was even praying for my prayers to be enough. His dark attire appeared even darker in the perpetually diminishing light, a stark contrast to my shimmering, white knee-length dress.

"It's Rose," He began. And so the guillotine was lowered. "It's time."

"A-are you…leaving?" I could feel a lump rising in my throat. I could feel it all slipping away from me.

"I have to!" There was a hint of excitement in his voice. "It's my baby."

The latter words stung me. Then what am I?

"So you…_are_ leaving." I didn't have the ability to phrase my words as a question. It would be pointless. I had already lost. Long ago I had become second best; long ago I had been pushed aside like an outgrown toy.

He was already halfway to the door, when he remembered that I was still there.

"Sara! I-I'm so sorry. I know that I said…I know what I said. But it's just that this, this is my baby. I promise I'll watch the show online later. I won't miss it. Or, or you can come with me. You don't have to go on. But, let's go! We have to hurry." He was practically bouncing now, the complete juxtaposition to my current state.

I pressed a hand to my chest, I felt as though my heart was going to tear itself apart.

"But you'll never get there in time anyway. It's all the way across the country." I tried. It was a feeble point, but I had to try it.

"Doesn't matter, at least I'll probably get there _today_." He was restless and slipping away. "Are you coming or not?"

"No." I managed. I couldn't look at him; tears were welling in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Okay, you can stay. But I-I'm gonna go." He turned quickly and was walking away. That's it? He was just going to leave? How dare he? How DARE he leave ME?

I wanted to scream, kick, and fight. I wanted to pitch a fit, through things, burn buildings down, and most of all I wanted to strangle him.

"NO!" I growled.

He was stunned. I hadn't spoken to him like that in a long time. "No." I repeated strongly.

"Sara, not now, please." His voice suddenly sounded much older, as if he had aged in mere seconds. Was he trying to be a figure of _authority_ now?

This was pathetic. I had lost, why continue fighting? For what cause, was there anything left?

"Don't '_please_' me, Day—dad." I caught myself. Lately it felt like a form of sacrilege to call him dad.

"Were you about to call me Damon?" I could sense the anger in his voice.

It was my own fault that I had messed up. I had attached myself to them. I had let them become my parents; dad was no longer 'dad.' He would forever be Damon now.

"Dad, don't leave." I pleaded. It was a sorry excuse, but I needed him.

"I'm not going to miss the birth of my child for some show, Sara." He was beginning to glare at me.

I felt as though I had been slapped. Is that what I was to him now, unimportant and unwanted?

His eyes widened as he realized what he had said. It was too late. It was done.

"I didn't mean that." He said quietly. I was tired of playing this game. "I'd stay, but…" He didn't finish.

I pressed my lips together and took deep calming breaths. I had to accept my loss that was all I could do.

"Just go." I whispered icily. I knew that the tears were about to spill over. _Never let them see you cry,_ echoed through my head. "It would kill you to stay." I glared at him coldly.

"And you _absolutely_ meant it." I raked my fingers through my dark curls and looked away. I couldn't bear the weight of the situation. I could sense myself beginning to break.

"Don't be that way, Sara. You know that I would stay if I could." He tried to hug me. I pulled away. His touch felt like it burned me.

"No," I shook my head. "You wouldn't. Just leave, I don't care anymore."

"Sara," His green eyes pleaded with me. "I can't stay, I _won't_ stay."

I was beginning to feel my heart breaking. "Leave!" I almost screamed. Why wouldn't he leave? I'd have to make him go now. Whether it hurt me more than it hurt him, it had to be done.

I took a deep breath, and said what needed to be said for him to leave.

"Dad, you can stay and keep me. But if you leave…" I swallowed hard. "I'll make sure that you'll never have custody of me again."

I knew that he wouldn't stay. I knew that it was a low blow, but it would get him to leave for good.

"What?" He stared at me, shocked.

"I'll never be yours again. I swear." I met his gaze intensely.

He looked at me sadly, "Then that's a chance that I'll just have to take." He turned on his heel and strode to the door.

I hadn't realized how different it would be to actually see him make the decision to leave me. I didn't think it would feel so terrible.

"Dad?" I called after him. He didn't turn back. "Dad, no! Dad don't leave!" I cried. "Don't leave! Dad!"

Tears had spilled onto my cheeks, ruining my stage makeup. "Dad!" I called one last time to him as he stepped out the door.

He paused, as if thinking about turning back, the sunset outlining him. He didn't turn around to take that last look.

"Dad, please don't leave me." I choked. For a second I believed that he would come back.

But he kept going. "Dad!" I barely heard my own voice. I felt as though I had been shot in the chest, dying a slow and painful death.

I don't know how I ended up on the floor or how Maria and Alonso appeared above me or how everyone crowded around me.

I just remember the feeling of drowning engulfing me. I had lost everything: my family, my boyfriend, my friends, all of it was gone.

Somehow I managed to crawl out of my mother's arms and change for my second number. I had already missed my first chance. I didn't think it would be okay to miss my second chance.

She gently brushed my curls back and slipped on my headband.

"Te ves bellissima." She kissed my forehead. "You look beautiful."

I caught my reflection in a mirror behind her. My black dress seemed appropriate for my mood, dark and unforgiving.

I turned to look at my father, desperately seeking approval at least from him.

"She's right." He wrapped an arm around me. It didn't satiate my need, but only made it worse.

"I'm going back to our seats, I'll have the camera's ready." Maria smiled and went out the side door to the auditorium.

"On deck," Ray, the stage manager tapped me as he passed. I approached the curtain, but then ran back to Alonso.

"I-I can't." I whimpered.

"Of course you can. You're the best one here. Don't doubt yourself." He said to me, hands firmly on my shoulders. I nodded.

There was applause for the person before me, and I panicked.

A cameraman was filming me already.

"Papi!" I hyperventilated.

He squeezed me, "Go get 'em, kiddo." He pushed me out of the curtains.

As soon as I stumbled onto the stage I was blinded by lights. I looked over at the accompanist and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. He must have taken that as my sign to begin because he started to play.

I didn't have time panic much, I just had to start. And when I did, I felt like I could let myself go.

"Something has changed within me, something is not the same." I began.

By the time I got to the climax of the song, I was letting my voice run free.

"Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity!" My knees were beginning to shake as I realized that my dad was not in the audience, that he was probably boarding a plane on his way back to New York.

"Bring me down! O-o-o-o-o-oh!" I collapsed to my knees in tears.

The crowd roared with excitement, a standing ovation. None of it mattered. It was all over.

I was barely able to walk off of the stage, but I came to a realization that would forever change me. I realized that I _hated_ Damon Salvatore. And that I would, if I ever got the chance to, get my revenge. I vowed that I would do everything in my power to somehow, someday, make his life a nightmare.

**A/N: Review? Continue or not?**


	2. Looking Back

Still Around

Chapter 2

**A/N: **By popular demand…if you call 4 reviews popular, I've decided to continue this. Let's go into Damon's mind for a bit, shall we?

Disclaimer: I unfortunately own nothing. If anyone wants to give me Damon I will gladly take him.

Aside: I don't know much about the adoption process so bear with me if much of it seems unrealistic. I'm just going by what I pictured in my head.

**Damon's POV**

The lighting in the hallway of neonatal unit was harsh and unforgiving. I resisted the urge to slip on my sunglasses as someone nudged me in the ribs.

Behind the pane of glass separating us, a nurse held up a small bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. A soft tuft of brown hair peeked out from under. I only knew it was soft because I had stroked it, caressed her little cheeks, kissed her wrinkly forehead.

I chose to enter the little room filled with other people's children.

"Here you go, Daddy." The nurse handed her to me, adjusting her properly in my arms.

I had never held anything so small, so perfect.

"Hi, baby." I greeted her quietly.

"Is this your first?" The nurse asked, smiling kindly.

"Yes." I couldn't take my eyes away from her to say more.

The nurse left us alone, humming as she went to tend to another baby.

Guilt was slowly washing over me. I had lied and felt even worse now than I had before I had set foot in this hospital.

The baby in my arms gurgled and squirmed, trying to reposition herself. As I looked down at her, brown eyes questioning me, I was yet again reminded of my lie.

No, she is not my first child, but looking at her makes me think of the first time I held such a tiny little person in my arms.

_**Flashback, 13 years before to a small orphanage somewhere in California. Damon, is a young volunteer, about 20 in age.**_

"Damon love, be a dear and make sure to sweep through the nursery, yes?" Mrs. Ross, a plump older woman in her late sixties smiled at me.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Ross." I returned the smile and finished up my sweeping in the small side office.

As I entered the room with about a dozen cribs in neat rows, a cry filled the air.

Oh boy, just what I needed. I turned the volume up on my radio and tried to ignore the wailing.

By the time I had finished with the room, I had had enough. I wanted to rip my hair out. How was it possible that parents put up with it?

I leaned the broom against the wall and strode to the source of the sound, pulling my headphones around my neck in the process.

I was shocked as I leaned over the railing of the crib.

She was surely the most adorable little thing that I had ever seen: brown hair sticking out in all directions, doe-like eyes with tears glistening on her long eye lashes, perfect rosy cheeks with lips to match, and a little button nose to top it off.

"Well…" was all I could manage. "Hello."

All it took was one gummy smile to send my heart soaring into the stars. I was gone, completely and utterly gone.

She raised her arms, asking to be picked up. How could I say no to this lovely little creature?

It was awkward and I almost regretted it; I didn't really know how to hold a baby.

"Oh, let me help you dear." Mrs. Ross took her from my arms, and in that instant she screamed.

Her protests could not be silenced by Mrs. Ross, or Tasha, another volunteer, or Valeria, also a volunteer.

"Well she quieted down when Damon picked her up," Tasha suggested.

"But he was holding her the wrong way!" Valeria reminded her.

"Here." Mrs. Ross took her from Tasha and returned the baby to me. "Hold her like this." She adjusted my arms.

Almost instantaneously she quieted down.

"Well would you look at that." Valeria shook her head, bemused.

"You're a natural." Mrs. Ross patted my shoulder and turned to retreat to her office again.

"Wait!" I called after the three that were walking away.

"Yes?" Tasha called over her shoulder.

"What's her name?" I asked. I need to know, I couldn't just call her 'Baby.'

"She doesn't have one. Her parents didn't give her one." Mrs. Ross gazed at her somewhat sadly.

I was slightly taken aback. How could you not even _name_ your child? Even if they weren't going to keep her the least they could have done was given her a name.

"Why don't you come up with something? She seems to like you." The old woman suggested lightly.

I nodded. It would give me something to do besides think of home when I returned to my apartment.

And so, when I returned the next day, baby name book in hand, it was decided that she would be named Sara, meaning princess in Hebrew. I didn't like the idea of having it spelled the more common way with an 'h' so I used the Latin way instead. It suited her well, she quickly came to be my little princess. I was whipped beyond my wildest dreams, wrapped tightly around her tiny fingers.

"Why don't you adopt her?" Mrs. Ross said to me one day.

"Huh?" I had been slowly rocking Sara to sleep and hadn't noticed her entering the room.

"Adopt her." She repeated.

"I-I couldn't." I honestly hadn't rationally thought about. Had I fantasized about it in the back of mind? Sure. Had I really given it a legitimate thought? No.

"Sure you could. I'd put in a good word for you." She prodded.

"I don't know if that'd be such a good idea." I countered. I was 20, nearly 21 for Pete's sake. Most guys my age were gearing up to be able to legally walk into a bar and drink, not to have a kid.

"Alright then, I suppose you should know that this Thursday there's a young couple coming in. They're looking for a little one, about her age. She got a lot going for her; they too could easily fall for her." She shrugged nonchalant.

I was a bit stunned. The idea of her, of my Sara, going to be with other people…shocked me. I couldn't bear to think about it.

"Oh, okay." I couldn't muster up any emotion. I couldn't feel.

Wednesday rolled around far too quickly for my liking.

"Okay kid, so here's the plan." I explained to her. "If they come and try to take you home, you just cry your little head off, okay? Let's make them think you're terrible, you're entirely unbearable."

"You shouldn't be telling her such horrible things, Damon." Tasha chastised me, shaking her head, tight ringlets in her light brown hair bouncing with the movement of her head. "You talk to her like she understands."

"I think she does." I defended. "Why shouldn't she? Baby talk just slows down mental development. Real talking will help her speech develop faster."

"Whatever you say, Daddy-O." She teased.

I rolled my eyes. I had become the victim of all their teasing in the last few months.

"And you have my _full_ permission to be as horrible as you like. You want to pitch a fit? Go right ahead. You want to spit up? Have at it!" I continued.

Tasha snickered as she left, a three year old in tow.

She babbled up at me, obviously thinking she was having a conversation.

That adorable little face smiled at me. Who was I kidding? I wanted the best for her, didn't I? She was a good kid; she'd make any family happy. I only wanted her to displease them so that she could stay with me. I couldn't give her what would really be best for her.

Sure, my trust fund was generous, and my job as the youth tutor at the local elementary school had pretty good pay, she wouldn't lack anything material. But she wouldn't have a female figure that was a constant in her life. I'm not exactly a full commitment kind of guy. I'm simply not good enough.

"Okay, I lied." I looked straight into her eyes. "You're going to be on your _best_ behavior. We want them to think that you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, got it?"

She answered with a smile.

"That's my girl." I tapped her nose, and she giggled.

I left that day, with a heavy heart, the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I avoided going back until Monday. I couldn't bear the thought of returning and her not being there waiting for me.

"Hey Val!" Tasha yelled as I entered the building. "Look what the cat dragged in!"

"My, my, well it certainly does look like the wind blew you in." Mrs. Ross smirked at me, her blue eyes twinkling behind her glasses.

I grunted out a hello and went to sign in. I avoided the nursery at all costs.

But as luck would have it, I ended up in the nursery at the end of the day. I tried to finish my work quickly, but I felt leaden. I dragged along as I swept through.

A cry broke me out of my concentration, a cry that I would have recognized anywhere.

I dropped what I was doing and nearly flew to the crib. There she was, just waiting for me.

It was after that day that I knew I couldn't bear to be parted from her. On that day I began the adoption process.

The rest is history that has become blurred over time.

_**Back to the present**_

"Damon," A voice called. "Damon, we'd love to hold her too."

I snapped my head up as I was pulled from my thoughts.

"Come here precious." She was pulled from my arms. "What did you two decide to name her?"

"Rose decided." I couldn't look at her. Looking at my own child, just a few hours old brought back to many memories.

"Well what did you decide?" Rose's dad, Mel, patted my shoulder.

"Alyssa." was all that I could manage at the moment. "Alyssa Marie Salvatore."

I had to leave the room after that, I felt as though the room itself had been suffocating me, with its bare, white walls.

I couldn't even stand to be in the hospital. I barely made it back to my car before the choking sobs spilled out. And no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop.

Harsh, body wracking sobs ripped through me, and I was thankful that my own father wasn't there to tell me to "man up".

I had no chance of ever getting her back. She was gone forever, and the thought of it all caused my heart to clench.

Perhaps in time I could get her back. If she asked, I would take her back in an instant. I would take all that I said back. I would erase it all, if I could.

But the real question was not _if I could_ or _if I would_. It was _if _she would take _me_ back.

And way deep down I knew that everything that had been done in the last few years, that every word that I had said hurt her.

I knew that she wouldn't _want_ me back. She wouldn't take me back. And no amount of my begging and pleading would ever change that.

But at least I could try.

**A/N:** So…what did you think? Good, bad, terrible? I'd love to know! Thanks!


	3. Beginning of the End

Still Around

Chapter Three

**A/N: **Frankly, I'm surprised at the positive feedback that I'm getting on this story! I want to thank you all for that! Now on with the story. Oh, and sorry if it's a bit jumpy. I try to make it as smooth as possible, but things don't seem to appear chronologically in my head.

**Aside:** This chapter was partially inspired by the song _Energy_ by Keri Hilson. This is only the first half of the inspiration from this song. There will be more to come soon. The song is usually interpreted one way, but I looked at it from a different perspective. I hope you'll be able to see it.

_I wish I could rip out a page of my memory  
>'Cause I put too much energy in him and me.<em>

_Can't wait 'til I get through this phase,  
>'Cause it's killing me.<em>

_Too bad we can't rewrite our own history._

_-Keri Hilson's Energy_

**Damon's POV** **(Italics are past, regular is present)**

"_Daddy!" A flurry of pigtails and kisses hit me suddenly. _

_I could barely get in a "hello."_

"_Daddy, school is fantastic! I dunno why you said I might not like it. I don't wanna stay home with you ever again! I made lots of friends and the teacher is really nice! And I like painting and doing letters! Can I just stay at school forever?" She chattered on._

"_Told ya! There was no way you were gonna scare her into staying with you for another year." My sister Jenna nudged me in the side. _

"_No Sara, you can't stay at school forever." I grumbled. "I'm glad you…liked it…I guess."_

_It was only the first day of preschool and I already felt like I was losing my little girl. What was I going to do when we hit the big leagues like Kindergarten?_

"Mommy! Daddy!" Alyssa wrapped her arms tightly around my wife's legs.

"Hi honey! How was it?" Rose knelt down next to her.

"I like it! School is fun!" She proclaimed.

"I knew you'd love it." Rose patted her head.

"How's the finger painting, kiddo?" I ruffled her hair.

"Daddy!" She smoothed her braids out. "We paint with brushes now." She replied.

Had it been that long since preschool?

How quickly these last four years had passed. Time flew and dragged by at the same time.

I found myself going through this phase where I would compare everything that Alyssa did to what Sara did. I knew it was a nasty habit, and I still hadn't quite broken it, but I couldn't help it.

It killed me to have to imagine what Sara was doing now. To have to picture her elsewhere, being comforted by another man, living an entirely different life, knowing that I wouldn't be there for any more important milestones. She would be graduating this year, no doubt.

It killed me to have to compare one daughter to another…because they simply couldn't compare. It wasn't a fair game.

What I would give, what I would pay to have my Sara back. There were days when I sort of wished that all of it had never happened; that I hadn't given in and adopted her. But in the end I could never regret any of it. I wouldn't trade any of my time with her for anything in the world.

**Sara's POV (Same goes for italics and regular font)**

_"Mira Mami! Tu certificado de nacimiento lla llego. Que bueno que lla areglarron todo." My mother waved a certificate in front of my face. _"Look baby, your birth certificate came in! They've finally fixed everything."

_Sure enough, there it was. A brand new birth certificate, my name entirely different from anything that I had ever known. _

_It read:_

_Name: Sara Vallejo_

_Mother: Maria Adellardo_

_Father: Alonso Vallejo_

_All three lines had something completely different. I felt like a stranger in my own body. _

_The first few weeks of being with my real parents had been strange to say the least. I felt as though I was spinning through most of it. _

_The loss of the only father I had ever known and the gain of my biological one had sort of set me off. I felt dizzy, sick, I couldn't focus at all. _

_My parents sought the help of a therapist, and I waited for the world around me to stop spinning. _

_I was lucky that Damon hadn't put up a fight and handed me over easily. He didn't show up to court the day that I had to speak with the lawyers. I remember the court room revolving around me. I felt like I had no choice but to choose my parents. I had made a promise to Damon the day that he chose her over me. A promise that I intended to keep to the end. _

_There had been side lawsuits of course, with the hospital, but those were all very hazy to me._

_The only thing that had stuck with me was the fact that Damon hadn't been brave enough to show up to any of the hearings. He didn't have the courage to come and face me one last time. _

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it my great pleasure to present to you this year's graduating class of Brookshire: School of the Arts Western Division."

The cheers erupted and navy blue caps went flying through the air.

"Griff we did it!" I hugged my best friend, Griffin Roberts, tightly.

"I swear I thought we weren't gonna make it!" He laughed.

"There's our two favorite graduates!" My mother somehow shoved her way through the crowd.

"And the best looking ones by far!" Mr. Roberts followed closely.

"I second that one!" My father called as he pushed his way through the dispersing group.

"Come here my schmoopie, let me look at you." Mrs. Roberts grabbed Griffin's face and began covering it with faces.

"Mom!" He protested.

We all laughed at the game that had been going on for years. Mrs. Roberts had always been extremely affectionate with her only son, but sometimes she over coddled him.

"Everybody say money!" Mr. Roberts held up his camera to distract his wife.

"Oh dear, how's my hair?" Mrs. Roberts patted her flaming red hair, a perfect match to Griffin's own.

"It's fine Shelley." My mother pushed her into the picture.

I smiled through all the pictures and made polite conversation where necessary, but inside I felt that a small part of me had died.

Yet again I was missing my father. As I child I had always pictured him beside me for all these pictures. When I opened my eyes the harsh reality of his absence hit me.

I had created a habit of wondering what he would do, what he would say at events like this. I would have loved to break it, but I just couldn't.

It was times like these that made me want to forget my entire history. It made me want to rip out the pages in my book, erase it all. It's a shame that no matter how hard I try I could never forget. I could never erase it.

Only time would cause the lines to blur and the memories to fade. If only time could pass me by.

**A/N:** So I know this isn't as long as the other chapters, but I hope it isn't terrible! (Who am I kidding, I'm sure it is.) Reviews are love! And it would be fantastic to hear some suggestions for the story line and/or predictions! Thanks again!


	4. Surprise

Still Around

Chapter Four

**A/N: **Wow! Thank you all _so_ much for all of your positive feedback! I hope it doesn't go to my head! I'm super excited to get this thing rolling along and I can't wait to see where it goes. I'd LOVE some suggestions from the public, though. I promise I won't beat you or anything if I don't like the idea. I'm open to pretty much anything, so please help me out here! Thanks!

**Example:** I received an anonymous review suggesting some Sara/Klaus. Now Klaus kind of freaks me out, but I'm up for an interesting Sara/Elijah just to get the pot stirring. Anyone entirely opposed to the idea and/or totally freaked about it?

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing. Ever. Well no…I _do _own a fantastic bag with Damon's face on it…

**P.S. **I've got a little surprise for you all in this chapter. I hope you like it!

**Sara's POV**

"You ready for this?" Griffin massaged my shoulders behind the thick velvet curtain. "Who would have thought that we'd ever end up back here after all the work we've done?"

"Griff, I was _born_ ready for this." I rolled my eyes. "Let's show these newbies what world class caliber looks like."

He chuckled. "Of course. They'll be trembling in fear by the end of the night." He took a swig from his water bottle.

"That always _is_ the goal." I muttered, not looking up from the email that I was responding to.

"Be nice." He smacked my arm lightly.

"I've already reached the top. I don't _need_ to be nice." I informed him sweetly.

"May I?" Sasha, a wardrobe specialist tightened my costume. "Isn't this amazing, guys? We get to come back here and mentor these kids! We get to make them just as good, if not better, than we are." She spoke through the pins in her mouth.

"Sure." I grimaced. Just what I wanted. It was my _dream_ to shape a little eleven year old into a mini me. I just couldn't wait… Not. "Am I supposed to be able to breathe?" I fingered the sliver and blue beaded corset.

"No." She pulled harder.

"Oh, then it's perfect." I stepped away before she could succeed in suffocating me.

"Good luck!" Sasha moved onto the next nearest dancer to nearly suffocate her.

"Remind me never to let you pick out corset costumes again." Griffin loosened the ties as soon as Sasha was out of sight.

"I think I've learned my lesson." I inhaled a breath of much needed air.

"So who did you get?" He asked me.

"What?" I was confused.

"Y'know, your kid to er, 'mentor'?" He elaborated.

"Oh…uhm," I reapplied lip gloss in one of the lighted mirrors. "Some girl named…Ali…Ala…Alina, or Alana I think. Something along those lines." I shrugged. I couldn't remember, and I wasn't expected to remember who it was until the orientation on Saturday.

"I got this kid named Andy or Andrew…I hope I can call him Andy." He ran a hand through his fiery mane.

"Did you look at background?" I smacked my lips together.

"Mainly interested in dance, but looking into show choir and voice." Griffin shook his head.

"Ah, I think mine is the same…or maybe she was mainly interested in voice…I dunno. I forgot." I turned as Ryan, the stage manager, poked me.

"Ten minutes 'til curtain." He called as he continued his rounds.

"Let's do this, Griffy." I put on my determined face.

"Show faces!" He agreed.

We made matching, overly bright smiles into the mirror.

"Let's show 'em how it's done." He squeezed my hand as I slipped it into his.

**Later after the show…**

I was perched precariously on the edge of my chair, dabbing, wiping, nearly clawing at the make-up I had on.

"Easy there!" Miranda, the make-up artist handed me another cloth, moist with make-up remover. "I would think that you'd like to keep your face, yes?"

"Must you really cake it on? This stuff never comes off. I'm perpetually covered in it." I grumbled, still furiously wiping it off. The cloth now tan, pink, and glittery.

"That's the beauty of show business!" She chuckled as she tucked her blonde bob behind her ears.

"Where on earth has Griffin disappeared to?" I wondered out loud. He was usually present to help me remove what he referred to as my "face".

"I saw him earlier…I think he was talking to his kid." Miranda stuffed brushes and mirrors into her giant boxes.

"His kid?" I turned to stare at her. Griffin didn't have a kid.

"His...mentoree?" She offered.

"Oh, yes. He did express some interest in meeting him early." I was indifferent really. It wouldn't have mattered to me if my girl tried to see me.

***Drum Roll Please…***

**Stefan's POV! :D**

"She was amazing, really. I mean, did you see that leap? Amazing!" I couldn't shut my mouth.

Sure, I was probably getting on Damon's nerves, but I didn't care! I wanted the _WORLD_ to know that I was in love with her!

"We get it." Damon clamped his hand over my mouth as I tried to continue. "She was amazing."

"Daddy, she really _was_ awesome!" Alyssa piped up next to me.

"Not you, too." He rolled his eyes.

"S'cuse me, coming through, whoa there, sorry!" A muscular man with orange hair was bounding down the hallway with what should have been an illegally sized bouquet of mixed roses.

"That is one mighty bouquet." Damon shook his head. "Must be taking them to his girlfriend."

"_EX_cuse me! Come _on_, delivery coming through, let's _go_." The red haired guy pushed his way through the already cramped hallway.

"_Move it!_" He was becoming exasperated as he shoved past me and Damon, nearly crushing Alyssa into the wall.

"Hey!" Damon rubbed his shoulder where the man had elbowed him. "Watch it!"

"Sorry! Really sorry!" He called as he continued down the hall, not even looking back.

"It's okay!" I called after him.

"No it's not. St. Stefan just decided that it was." Damon grumbled.

"You're fine. Besides, a bouquet that big is probably illegal anyway." I patted his shoulder. "Lys, you okay?" I turned to my niece.

She was still plastered to the wall. "Lys?" I tried.

"G-g-griffin R-r-r-roberts just pushed me into a wall." She sighed dreamily. "I think all of my dreams have come true."

"Who? That guy?" Damon gestured down the hallway with his thumb.

She nodded. "Don't you remember him from the show, Daddy? He was the male lead! He was that girl's partner!"

"Uh…sureeeee." Damon peeled her from the wall.

"No, no!" She cried trying to clutch at it.

"Come on, before your uncle suffocates under the weight of his own bouquet." Damon pulled her along.

I bounced happily after them. I couldn't _wait_ to see the look on her face! She'd be so happy to see me again!

We had finally reached her crowded dressing room. There was a line waiting to get in, made up of both stage crew, cast, and admirers.

I could _just_ see over the crowd. I was able to spot her, just as her face lit up. Perhaps she had seen me?

"Griffy, they're _beautiful_!" Her voice rang out over the sounds of the small mob. She was picked up and twirled around by the flaming haired man, _Griffy_.

He whispered something to her, causing her to laugh out loud and whisper something in return. Then she kissed him, right on the lips in a chaste, unashamed fashion. And my heart sank.

She couldn't have. She just couldn't have kissed him. I couldn't believe it.

"Stefan," Damon clasped my shoulder. So he had seen it too.

I hadn't stopped to think that maybe _she had_ moved on.

**Sara's POV**

Griffin and I pushed our way through the crowd that had formed at the door. I had sent out a mass-text to all cast and crew telling them that any issues could be dealt with the following day, to go home and rest up.

Just as we were stepping out, I reached up to wipe away the lip gloss that I had left right at the corner of Griffin's mouth when I had kissed him.

"Let's bounce?" He suggested.

"I can't wait to go home." I took his arm as he led me down the hallway toward the back stage doors.

We were about five feet from the door before we were stopped.

"Wait!" A small voice cried out behind us.

I turned to find a small girl, with shoulder length brown hair and delicate features. Her blue-green eyes, however, seemed familiar. I couldn't place it.

"Yes?" Griffin stepped in for me.

"H-hi." She stuttered.

Oh boy. Another fan. Normally I would have been much nicer, but I was tired and pretty much drained.

"Griff, get her a CD so we can go." I begged him with my eyes.

We had been up since three a.m. and by the looks of the line forming, we wouldn't be getting out very soon, and it was nearing eleven o'clock.

"Oh, no I already have your CD! I was uh…just wondering if I could take a picture." It came out sounding like more of a question than a statement. I just hoped that whoever got her would be working on sounding more confident.

"Sure." I tried not to sigh.

She handed Griffin a compact silver camera and moved to stand near me.

I smiled, hoping it didn't come out like a grimace. The chatter of the line that had formed was starting to buzz in my ears.

"Alright guys," Griffin addressed the crowd. "It was just this one. Sorry!" He waved them away.

There were cries of protests as the people began to disperse.

She then asked to take one with Griffin, too. We switched places and I snapped the picture.

"Could you sign my CD?" She held it open for me along with a pen.

If all my fans were this ready signings might not be so tedious. I wasn't going to complain about this kid.

"Your name?" I asked.

"Alyssa," She replied eagerly.

I signed the CD,

_Alyssa,_

_Follow your dreams and be confident!_

_Love, Sara Vallejo_

"Ohmahgoodness. I can't wait to work with you!" She spoke quickly. "I love you so much!" She hugged me.

"Uhm…okay." I didn't know whether to be flattered, confused, or to have Griffin pull her off.

"You're my mentor, by the way." She added.

Well that explains it.

So it wasn't Alana or Alina like I had thought it was. It was Alyssa. Now that I thought about it, I could remember seeing her name on the sheet.

"I'm _SUPER_ excited!" Alyssa continued.

"That's great," I tried to leave. "See you on Saturday…"

"Alyssa!" A voice called over what was left of the crowd.

"Over here, Dad!" She called back.

"We really have to go," I tried to pull Griffin away with me.

Just then, a face I had hoped to never see again in my life appeared in front of me, through the crowd. And right behind him, another one to go along with him because my life hadn't just turned sour enough.

"Daddy, Uncle Stefan," Alyssa grabbed their hands and pulled them toward Griffin and me. "I want you to meet Sara and Griffin."

The air had quickly filled with a tension that even weighed on my shoulders.

Griffin discreetly moved to stand slightly in front of me.

"Daddy, she's going to be my mentor." Alyssa grinned at him.

Oh hell no.

**Damon's POV**

You have _got_ to be kidding me.

**A/N: **The first little cliff-hanger of the story! Yay! Tune in next chapter to find out what goes down between Sara and Damon.

Remember, reviews are love and suggestions are welcome!


	5. We Meet Again

Still Around

Chapter Five

**A/N: ** I think…that I will continue with this story. I know the plot is confusing (It's fan fiction, it isn't _supposed_ to make sense!), and I know there's huge plot holes, but I just want to see where this will end up. Are you with me?

**Sara's POV**

"How, er…lovely." Damon managed through a gritted, forced smile.

I moved my gaze to Griffin, hoping that he would get the message. He didn't.

"Griffin Roberts," He stepped forward, offering his hand.

"Damon Salvatore," Damon returned the gesture, and I hoped that Griffin gave him an extra firm shake. "This is my brother, Stefan Salvatore." He continued.

Griffin shook his hand too and then moved to wrap a protective arm around me.

"As Alyssa mentioned before, my beautiful co-star, dance partner, best friend, and…" He rambled on.

"Better half?" Damon offered, with a single raised eye brow.

"Fiancée," Griffin informed him crisply. "Sara here, is my _fiancée_."

"How perfect is that?" Alyssa squealed and I felt a pounding headache coming on.

"We'd love to stay and chat but…prior engagements, sorry." I began to pull Griffin toward the door.

"Good night, see you on Saturday." I pushed the door open, dragging along Griffin who was busy glaring at both Stefan and Damon.

I slammed the door behind me the second we were out and nearly _ran_ to my car.

"Get in." I growled to Griffin. I had the headache of the century.

"I suppose you can wear your ring in public now, yeah?" He gave a feeble attempt at making me smile.

"Urgh." I couldn't even speak.

**Damon's POV**

"Of all the damn people." I muttered.

"You're telling me." Stefan had lost all expression in his voice. "Engaged." He sighed.

"You didn't expect her to just be waiting around for you, did you?" I almost laughed.

He didn't reply.

"Daddy…what's wrong?" Alyssa touched my arm.

"Nothing, kiddo. Let's go home." I took her by the hand and pulled Stefan along by the shoulder.

I definitely wasn't looking forward to Saturday. What would I tell her? What could I say? How do I express eleven years of suppressed feelings? There isn't exactly a hallmark card that says "hey, I've missed you, sorry I gave up. Love, Dad P.S. I want you back."

I was a bit more worried for Stefan than I was for me. He hadn't taken the announcement well.

The week dragged by, he became more closed off with each passing day. I finally broke down on Friday afternoon.

"Snap out of it!" I shook him from his place on the couch. "Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'there's plenty of fish in the water'?"

"I don't care." He growled. "Leave me the fuck alone." He pushed me away; I stumbled until I hit the wall from the force.

I sighed. I really didn't need two kids to deal with right now. Alyssa was bouncing off of the walls with excitement and Stefan was brooding over his loss. Both were children, one in age and another in attitude. I was living in what felt like a bi-polar household.

"Alright, I cave." I threw my hands into the air. "Get up _NOW_!" I used brute force to ply Stefan away from his spot on the leather couch.

"No! I have nothing left!" He cried. "It's all over."

"Stop being such a baby." I slapped his cheek. "Listen,"

"No!" He cut me off. "I don't want to listen." He made his way back to the couch and slumped over.

"You leave me no choice." I went to the kitchen and dug beneath the sink for the bucket. I lugged it with me to the couch and held it over his head.

"Will you listen?" I warned.

"No." He didn't look up.

"Alright then," I dumped the water over his head. "Now you'll _have_ to listen."

"Argh." He stood abruptly, shaking his hair out like a wet dog. "What? What could possibly be so fucking important? What in bloody hell would _ever_ make her change her mind?" Stefan could be quite scary when he was angry. I almost recoiled from the blazing look in his eyes, but was caught off guard when he suddenly softened.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Stefan." Alyssa had her arms wrapped tightly around my brother's middle. "If it helps, I think she'd be much happier with you."

"It doesn't, but thanks for trying." He patted her head gently.

It suddenly struck me that if I hadn't screwed up all those years ago, he could have been engaged to her instead of that red haired guy. They could have been happy, but I tore them apart. I had been so hard-headed, dead set on keeping them apart.

_"Daddy, it isn't anything! Why won't you listen to me?" She begged as I dragged her away from my parents' house through the rain. "Dad! It's not what you think it is!"_

_ "Bull shit, Sara. He's your UNCLE. What the HELL has gotten into you?" I shoved her into the car, soaking wet._

_ "What do you THINK is going on? It's not the kind of relationship you think it is, Dad. We're not doing anything!" She pleaded from the backseat, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. _

_ "I've seen enough. I don't need this going any further. Heaven forbid something terrible happen." I grimaced with the images in my head. "You're not to associate with him in any kind of romantic way." _

_ "But Daddy!" She protested._

_ "Don't, Sara. Not now." I held up a hand to stop her. "I don't want to hear it." _

_ "But Daddy I love him!" She sobbed, crazily wiping away her tears. _

_ I slammed on the breaks. _

_ "You WHAT?" I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to look at her. _

_ "I love him, I love Stefan." She glared at me fiercely. "And you can't stop it." _

_ "Like hell you do." I growled. "You are NEVER to see him again. Do you understand me?" _

_ She didn't reply. "Do you understand?" I repeated. _

_ "Yes, sir." She finally mumbled. _

_ "Good. End of discussion." I turned back to the wheel. The rest of the drive was silent, except for the sound of raindrops hitting the windshield and the constant plip-plip of water dripping from my daughter's sopping wet hair. I could feel her gaze burning into my rearview mirror. _

_ I managed to pull into the garage before she said anything._

_ "It's HER, isn't it? SHE'S filled your head with lies, hasn't she?" She glared at me from the rear view mirror. _

_ "End of discussion, Sara." I growled. _

I had _hated_ the idea of them together, but only because I was so afraid that he would hurt her. In the end, I suppose, _she_ hurt _him_ more.

I played a big part in keeping them apart, and successfully separating them for years. It was only fair that I try to help Stefan get her back. And I had just the plan help him.

I had grown up with an uncanny ability to pick the one thing that hurt a person the most. I could find just one weak point and tear them down. But first, I'd have to be able to analyze Griffin. I'd have to corner him until I had him in the palm of my hand.

"Stefan, I have a plan." I clasped my brother on the shoulder. "I'm going to help you."

"Great." He set his mouth into a straight, sarcastic line. "But first, I think I need a drink."

I made arrangements for Alyssa to stay with a friend, and I took him to a club that a colleague of mine had recommended.

I was surprised to find it rather empty. There was, however, a good sized group crowded around one side of the rectangular bar. They gave a loud cheer and hugged each other before a good number of the group dispersed to the couches and booths located around the floor.

I took this as my chance to go up to get drinks.

"Wait!" Stefan grabbed my jacket. "Look." He pointed to where the group had been at the bar.

Low and behold, there was Sara…and Griffin chatting it up with what looked to be cast and crew from the show.

"Well, well, well." I straightened my jacket out. "Looks like it's my chance to put my plan into action, little brother."

"What are you going to do, Damon?" Stefan looked up at me warily.

"I think I'm just going to have a little…_chat_…with Griffin." I smiled and began to walk in the direction of the bar.

**Sara's POV**

We were hanging out a favorite club of ours, preparing for the day ahead of us and celebrating a week that had been pulled off.

"Come on," Griffin had said to me. "I think I owe you a drink. And you're definitely going to need one before tomorrow."

I had reluctantly agreed. I would have preferred to stay home and curl up with him while watching a movie, but he insisted that it would be a good time to announce our engagement.

"It's as good a time as ever." He said to me as I applied make up in the bathroom.

"If you think so." I shrugged. I wasn't all that excited to have the news out and about.

I had been feeling off since the show, not myself at all. I knew that he had picked up on it and was only trying to make me feel better, but I just didn't see how announcing our engagement would help the grinding headache that I had suffered from since that night.

The last thing I had wanted was to ever see Damon again. Stefan, too. I had convinced myself to leave them behind with my teen years.

But it was also what I had spent years praying for.

"I'll be right back," I pulled away from Griffin's arm and from the girls cooing over my ring. "I'm going to get another drink."

"Do you want me to get it for you?" My fiancée offered, ever so kind. He took my champagne flute from me. We had ordered a round of Chardonnay for the announcement.

"Nah, I'm in need of something stronger. I'll get it." I patted his cheek as I went around the bar to find the bar tender.

"What can I get for you?" The bulky, hairy bartender asked.

"Ah…vodka." I said analyzing the shelves of various liquor above him. "Absolut, straight, on the rocks." I instructed.

"You got it, little lady." He winked at me and went to pour the drink.

"Isn't that a bit strong for you?" A voice spoke behind me. And then _he_ appeared.

"Shit." I turned my head away from him. I didn't want to see him.

"Didn't your father ever teach you not to drink your problems away?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

I was thankful that the bartender returned with my drink right at that moment.

"Thanks…Gus." I read his nametag.

"No problem, little lady." He smiled kindly. "Anything for you, sir?" He turned to Damon.

"Yes, two scotches on the rocks…" Damon ordered. The bartender didn't move and stood tensely over my drink waiting for Damon to leave. "Well don't just stand there! Make yourself useful!"

"Yes, sir." Gus turned to leave, taking my drink with him. I almost called out to tell him to bring it back, but decided that I just needed to get out of there.

"Griff?" I turned to call to my fiancée.

"You're not leaving, are you _dear_?" Damon practically sneered. His sarcasm was the last thing I needed right now.

"Here ya go, looks like you need this." Gus placed another tumbler in front of me.

"It looks the same." I stared at him, trying to find a difference.

"One hundred sixty proof." He stated. "Kept under lock and key."

"Thanks." I smiled in gratitude. Now that was more like it. I downed it quickly, trying to ignore the burning sensation as it went down my throat.

"_Excuse_ me; I believe I ordered two drinks!" He was getting impatient now, tapping his leather shoe against the light bamboo flooring.

"Right," Gus eyed him, rubbing his auburn whiskers. He pulled two tumblers out from under the counter and poured him two drinks. "There you go."

"Thanks," Damon replied indignantly, snatching them from the counter.

"Sir," Gus called him back.

"Yes?" He spoke through a gritted smile.

"Your card?" The bartender waited, blinking at him in a bored manner.

"Ah," Damon momentarily paused.

"Put it on the V tab." I interjected quickly, without thinking.

"Sorry hon, the V tab is for family only." Gus chuckled at me and then returned to stare Damon down.

I sighed and dug my I.D. out of my clutch and slid it over to him.

I look of shock followed by embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry Miss Vallejo. I didn't recognize you. Forgive," I held a hand up to stop his rambling.

"That's enough. It's quite alright, no harm no foul." I took my I.D. back.

"What's so special about this '_V tab_'?" Damon looked at us suspiciously.

"It's the house tab." Gus scratched his sideburns nervously, and then rubbed his arms. "I'm _really_ sorry, Miss Vallejo. Won't happen again, I swear."

"Ah, don't worry yourself about it, Gus." I smiled at him. "I'll make sure to put in a good word for you with the big guy." I winked and slid onto the barstool.

"I'm still not getting it." Damon set the drinks on the counter.

"Ugh, Gus would you be so kind as to hand me a menu." I smiled at the bartender and turned to glare at Damon.

I passed the menu emblazoned with the giant red "V" on the cover to Damon.

"Part of the Alonso Vallejo line." Damon read. "What on earth is that supposed to mean to me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Alonso Vallejo owns this club. It's a part of his line of restaurants and clubs."

"And?" Damon shrugged exasperatedly, his black sports jacket creasing at the shoulders.

"_You_ may not know him personally, but to me he is more commonly known as…" I paused for a bit of drama. "Daddy!" I cried as I spotted a familiar face coming through the doorway.

I hopped off of the barstool and ran over to my father.

"Mi reina, que haces aqui?" He asked as he pulled me into a tight squeeze. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Griffin wanted to announce the engagement to everyone and we thought what better place to do it than here." I shrugged at him. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Just stopped by to check in on everything." He smiled at me. "But it looks like you've got that covered." He surveyed the room, pleased.

"Daddy, you have to meet this guy, Gus. He's a _fantastic_ bartender. I've never had better service." I pulled him toward the bar.

By that time, Damon was long gone from the bar. (Thank goodness) And I hadn't seen where he had gone off to.

**Damon's POV**

_Daddy_? Are you kidding me? So this is what she's become? The heir to a multi-million dollar company of restaurants and clubs?

I almost couldn't blame her for leaving.

"That didn't go well." Stefan's voice pulled me from my thoughts as he gestured to the bar with his glass.

"Not yet. I never said I was done." I took a swig from the glass.

"Who's that guy?" He pointed to Mr. Vallejo.

"Apparently," I paused. "_Daddy_."

"Oh." Stefan looked at me pityingly.

"Don't look at me like that." I glared at him, and turned to follow Griffin out the door.

"I'm going to get another drink." Stefan got up and went in the direction of the bar.

The cool night air hit me as I stepped outside. I stood wait for a while, waiting for Griffin to end a call on his cell phone.

He spoke in hushed tones and the wind did not allow me to hear what he was saying.

After a substantial amount of time, he finally hung up and turned his face to the sky. He ran a hand through his hair and then turned to go back inside.

"Roberts," I stepped in front of him. "Griffin Roberts, yes?"

"Yes," He replied. "Mr. Salvatore, if I'm not mistaken." He leveled his eyes with mine.

"You know who I am. Good, then you'll know that if you hurt her, I won't hesitate to hurt _you_." I looked him menacingly in the eyes.

He grimaced and pushed my hand off of his shoulder. "With all due respect Mr. Salvatore, that threat has already been made by a man in a much better position and with much more authority to make it than _you_." He challenged me.

"How dare-" I began.

"Now if you'll excuse me. I have more pressing matters to attend to." He brushed past me and through the doors.

**Sara's POV (While Damon's point of view is occurring.)**

I sat at the bar feeling somewhat alone. I didn't feel like mingling with the groups in the booths or on the dance floor. I swirled my tumbler around, watching only the ice continue to move in the same direction, never separating. I wondered if the pieces wanted to separate. I could picture a cube desperately trying to break away from its frozen attachment.

But I was being silly now, the alcohol had gone to my head. At least my head ache had been numbed slightly.

I felt someone come to sit beside me. I figured it was Griffin, so I sort of leaned against his shoulder and sighed.

"Can we go home yet?" I asked him quietly. A split second later I realized that the shoulder that I was leaning on was most definitely slightly bulkier than my fiancée's.

I looked up to meet Stefan's eyes.

"S-sorry." I mumbled. My speech slurring together a bit. "I-I thought you were…Griffin."

He nodded in response. I studied him a little, from under my eye lashes. It had been so long since I had seen him, since I had really _looked_ at him.

He was handsome. Well no, he had always been handsome, but this was different. He had aged well. I found myself wanting to touch his jaw line. It was no longer hidden by a layer of baby fat, but was defined and had the faint shadow of stubble. Eleven years had done him well.

There was something in his eyes, I couldn't place it. If I still knew him the way I used to, then it was disappointment. But I doubted that he was still the same Stefan that I had been forced to leave behind so many years ago.

"Are you okay?" I looked up at him.

"Honestly," He started. "No."

"Hey, what're you doing?" Griffin left a small kiss near my ear.

Stefan sighed and looked away.

"Nothing." I smiled at him innocently; half hoping that he would go away so that I could talk to Stefan.

"Mmmm, I see." He eyed Stefan a bit. "Well we've got a big day tomorrow, maybe we should get going?" He offered.

"Yeah, just…uh, go start saying bye. I have to talk to Gus about possibly getting him a promotion. I'll be there in just a sec." I patted his shoulder as I moved around the corner of the rectangular bar.

I waited for Griffin to make it down the stairs to call Gus over.

"What can I do for you?" He smiled at me.

"Listen, see that guy sitting over there?" I subtly gestured at Stefan with my eyes.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Anything he orders goes on my tab, got it?"

"Sure. How about his friend over there?" He shrugged toward the booth that Damon was sitting at.

"No, not him." I shook my head. "By the way, do you have a note pad?"

"Yeah, here." He pulled a pad of paper out from under the counter along with a pen.

"Thanks. Oh, and I put in a good word for you with my dad. I'd start expecting a promotion soon." I winked as I scribbled my phone number onto the paper and tore the sheet out.

I folded it into a small square as I went back to where Stefan was.

He turned toward me, but only lifted his eyes.

"I have to go." I said softly. "But if you need me, or you need to talk," I hesitantly wrapped my arms around him and gave him a squeeze. I tucked the folded paper into pocket of his blazer and patted it. "You can call me." Our eyes met for just a second before we both averted them.

I turned away to leave without looking at him again. I had to leave before I had the chance to do anything stupid.

"Let's go," I met Griffin at the edge of the dance floor, pulling him away from Marq, a stage hand. "See you all tomorrow." I grumbled as a few waved.

The air outside hit me like ice and I fought the urge to run back inside. I shivered a little as I climbed into Griffin's car.

He started the car and then began to back out of the space.

"Uhm, I want to go back to my apartment, if you don't mind." I touched his shoulder.

His eyes flicked over to me. "Okay, we can go there."

"No," I replied quickly. "I mean…I just want to go alone. If that's okay, you can just drop me off." I clarified.

"Oh, alright. Are you okay? Are you sure you should be alone?" He looked at me with a concerned look.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…want some time to clear my head, just to be alone." I nodded.

"Okay." He didn't question me further.

When I was finally alone, I tossed my keys and clutch onto the coffee table and dragged my feet to turn on the water for a shower. I had a feeling that I had made the right decision in coming home alone.

**Stefan's POV**

After she left with Griffin we didn't stay much longer. Damon's mood grew sour and I grew weary of the club atmosphere.

When we returned to the house I retreated into my room. I mainly wanted to get away from Damon who interrogated me about my conversation with Sara.

I told him that I had literally exchanged _two words_ with her. I was thankful that he hadn't seen her slip her number into my pocket.

I laid my blazer over the ottoman of a big chair, carefully removing the folded slip of paper before doing so, and threw myself onto my bed.

I unfolded it to stare at the numbers she had written. For a second, I thought about calling her, but then I decided against it.

What would I say? Hi, it's been a long time, but I still have the world's biggest crush on you. And the fact that you were able to forget me just kills me. By the way, could you please get rid of your fiancée? Thanks. Bye.

Oh yeah, that would go over _real_ well.

I don't know how long I laid there trying to work up the courage to call her, but somehow…I managed to dial her number on my cell and I was surprised to hear it ring. After a few rings I began to panic. What if she had written wrong? What if she had given me a fake number?

**Sara's POV**

I was burrowed deep into my sheets and comforter when my cell began to vibrate on the side table.

I managed to unwrap myself and unhook it from the charger. I looked at the number: "unkown."

I pressed the "accept" button.

**Stefan's POV**

And finally, "Hello?" she spoke. My heart soared.

**A/N: **That's all for now folks. :) Hope you liked it. I still haven't decided if I want them to end up together or not. We'll see. Poor Stefan, I think it'd be interesting to see him get his heart broken a little bit more. Any thoughts on this pair or any other for that matter?


	6. Memories

Chapter Six

**A/N: **I believe an entire flashback chapter is due. This gives some back story on what went on between Sara and Stefan. We'll throw in a little Damon just to make things interesting.

**Sara's POV** **(Present Time)**

I wasn't sure how long I spent on the phone with Stefan, but I think we both fell asleep. I awoke with the phone next to me on the pillow, not remembering if we had hung up or if the call had merely ended. My mind was swimming with the last of my dreams of the memories that had resurfaced after being pushed back and hidden for so long.

There was this feeling ,that I couldn't explain, that was starting to well up inside of me, filling me slowly, all the way to my core, beginning to thaw my long frozen insides.

Visions of my too real dream danced through my head, emphasized by my pounding headache. The memories were too much. I couldn't take it.

***Flashback to Age 11***

_"Isn't this great Stefan? Middle school's gonna be AWESOME! And then high school! Oh god, it's all happening so fast!" I sighed as I stared at the main gates of J. Edgar Hoover Middle School. _

_ "You two will be going off to college before you know it." Grandpa wrapped his arms around our shoulder. "Stop growing!" He teased. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" _

_ "Da-ad! We'll be fine." Stefan reassured his father. _

_ "Alright you two, I'll see you both right here at two. Don't get into any trouble on your first day, okay?" He gave us each a squeeze one last time before leaving us at the gate. _

_ "Stefan," I half-whimpered, wishing my father could be there to hold my hand one last time. "I'm nervous." _

_ He held out his hand to me, offering me the comfort of familiarity. "At least we have each other." _

_**Age 12**_

__Bzzz-bzzz-bzzzz

_I rolled over towards my side table, blinding patting around for my phone. _

_ "Hello?" I whispered quietly. _

_ "Hi…happy birthday." He said. I glanced at the clock on the table. It read 12:01 a.m._

_ "Stefan, are you aware that it's midnight?" I groaned. _

_ "I just wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday." I could practically _hear_ his innocent shrug. _

_ "Thanks…I guess." I sort of giggled to myself. _

_ "So uh…yeah…I guess I should probably let you go back to sleep now." He laughed a little nervously. _

_ "That'd be nice." I rolled onto my stomach and toyed with the fringe on a decorative pillow. _

_ "Good night," He paused. "I love you."_

_ I froze. How was I supposed to respond? The tone in his voice was not the sort of 'I love you' for family. Maybe my girl friends _had_ been right. Maybe Stefan _did_ like me? I certainly liked _him_. _

_ My father's voice echoed in my ears. "He's your uncle, remember that." He had never had any issue with me hanging out with Stefan until _SHE_ had mentioned that we were a bit too close for her liking, whatever _that_ meant. _

_ Oh screw it, I thought to myself. Dad doesn't care anyway. As long as I'm not getting his precious Rose's plans, then he didn't pay much attention. _

_ "I love you, too." I finally responded. "…Uncle Stefan." _

_ "Yeah…" He sighed. "See you later." _

_ "Good night." I hung up. _

_ About seven hours later, I got up early to pick out a special outfit and then went into the kitchen. _

_ Ever since I could remember Dad had always gotten up early to make me a special birthday breakfast. I was shocked to find the kitchen empty and as spotless as it had been last night. _

_ Maybe they weren't home from the concert last night? _

_ I looked down the hall to see if the door was closed. I nearly stumbled over my dad's shirt while in the process of doing so. _

_ "Oh God…" I cringed. _

_ I tried to reassure myself by saying that maybe he had just forgotten to set his alarm. Of course that was it. It _had_ to be it. _

_ I poured myself a bowl of cereal and tried not to feel sorry for myself. Today was not the day to throw a pity party. The sound of a cabinet closing caused me to snap my head up. _

_ Rose was getting herself of glass of water from the fridge dressed in nothing but one of dad's shirts. _

_ "You look…_nice_." She took a sip._

_ I ignored her jab. "Thanks." I replied flatly. _

_ "Listen, your dad and I are going out to do some wedding planning errands, so don't expect him to pick you up today. We'll probably be home after dinner." She spoke brusquely. _

_ Fantastic. Great. Just what I needed. _

_ "Okay," I nodded, finishing up my cereal and going to wash it in the sink. _

_ As I was scrubbing my spoon, she dropped her glass into the sink and slunk back down the hall. _

_ If she thought that I was washing it, then she was sorely mistaken. _

_ "So what did your gorgeous Daddy do for your birthday?" Cassie attacked me nearly the second I walked through the gates of the school. _

_ "Hello to you too, Cassie." I smirked. She had had a massive crush on my dad since we were in the second grade. _

_ "Happy Birthday!" She gave me a squeeze. "This is for you." She passed me a brightly polka dotted gift bag. _

_ "Thanks." I smiled. _

_ "But really, what went on in your casa this morning? I'm sure _something_ went on! Come on! I wanna know!" She danced around me. _

_ "Well…I got up, got dressed, then I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I grabbed my stuff and then walked here. That's pretty much what's happened up until now." I shrugged. _

_ "Whoa, whoa, WHOA! What do you mean that's all? Where's the annual birthday breakfast feast? The whole daddy coddles you to the school gates spiel? What is this madness?" Cassie practically shook me. _

_ "Hey, hey, let's not abuse the birthday girl. I'd like to keep her in one piece, thank you very much." Stefan appeared from behind Cassie. _

_ "Fine, I'll pester you later. I have to go to science to turn in a paper. I'll see you guys during lunch." She waved and hurried off in the direction of the science building. _

_ "Hi," Stefan turned to me, smiling. _

_ "Hi," I smiled back. _

_ "Happy birthday, again." He offered me his arm. _

_ "Thanks." I linked my right arm through his left and we went in the direction of our first class. _

_ I got a few birthday well-wishers on the way there along with the occasional wave. _

_ "Oh, before I forget…" He stopped in front of the auditorium steps. "This is for you. Happy Birthday." He pulled out a long box wrapped in silver and light blue wrapping paper with a small white bow in the upper right corner. _

_ "Tiffany blue?" I cocked an eyebrow. _

_ "Just open it." He ran hand through his hair. "The suspense is killing me." _

_ I pulled open a folded edge and pushed the box through the wrapping paper. Sure enough, the box had _Tiffany and Co. _in small black print across the center. _

_ "Stefan," My voice shook a little as I removed the lid. _

_ Inside was a lovely little silver star pendant with a tiny diamond nestled into the center, on a signature silver chain. I gasped as soon as I saw it. _

_ "Do you like it?" He asked nervously, combing his fingers through the front of his hair. _

_ "I-I love it!" I reassured him. "But how-"_

_ "I've been saving up for it." He stopped me. "I saw it and it reminded me of you, so I knew you had to have it." _

_ "It reminded me of you?" My brow furrowed. _

_ "It's a little star," He began, taking the box from my hands to remove the necklace. "Just like you. One day you'll be a big star, a real one, with more fans than you could possibly imagine." He closed the clasp around my neck. _

_ "And someday, I'd like to be able to shower you with Tiffany's." He added as he brushed my hair back into place. _

_ I gingerly fingered the star hanging around my neck. _

_ "It's beautiful," I wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you." I whispered to him._

_ With school followed by a three hour dance rehearsal and then a twenty minute walk home, I didn't return home until nearly six thirty. _

_ I was dog tired, but my heart was over the moon. Even the empty apartment couldn't bring my mood down. _

_ It wasn't until around ten o'clock, after a shower and a hot pocket for dinner that I suddenly recalled the fact that my own _father_ hadn't even bothered to call, much less send a text, to wish me a happy birthday. _

_ I had started to become used to the idea that Rose was becoming my dad's number one priority, but this one really stung. _

_ I'm not sure when I had fallen asleep, but the sound of movement from the kitchen woke me. I sat up, waiting to see if the light would go on. It didn't. I crept slowly out of bed, making the sure to remain as quiet as possible. _

_ I was well trained in a mixture of martial arts and could easily take down an average size man, but I wasn't sure if I would be facing a burglar or something much worse. _

_ I figured it'd have to be someone who could get past the doorman at night, and then my mind began to swim with horrifying thoughts of child-abductors and rapists. _

_ Well, dad probably wouldn't even notice that I was missing. _

_ I tiptoed into the kitchen, straining to see any sort of movement. A shadow caught my eye as it moved around behind me. _

_ "A-ya!" I jabbed my elbow hard into the ribs to my attacker, hoping to catch him off guard. _

_ "Mother of-" I cut him off with a quick kick to the stomach. _

_ I heard coughing as I moved backwards to try to gain some room so that I could perform some sort of side kick. _

_ "Hah!" My foot hit squarely in a jaw. _

_ "God!" The light flipped on, as I had moved to prepare for another jab. _

_ My dad stood coughing and rubbing his jaw. _

_ "Oh my God, Dad…" I tried not to laugh. "That was you. I'm SO sorry!" _

_ "Who the hell'd you think it was?" He sputtered out. His hair was sticking out in all directions as if he had been asleep. He was also in his pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt. He had most likely been asleep and had gone to the kitchen to get something. _

_ "Sorry. I thought it was a burglar…or something. I dunno." I shrugged and moved to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "Good night, dad." I attempted a smile, but I'm pretty sure it came out as more of a grimace. I couldn't believe that my dad had completely forgotten my birthday. _

_ I was nearly out of the kitchen when he stopped me. _

_ "Wait!" He called me. _

_ I turned to find him leaning against the kitchen table, a large cupcake with a yellow candle in it on the table. _

_ "It's your favorite, royal white with chocolate frosting." He smiled at me that crooked half smile that I loved dearly. _

_ I didn't realize that my lower lip was trembling until my vision became blurred with tears. _

_ He held his arms open for me and I nearly flew into them. _

_ "Happy Birthday, kiddo." He kissed my hair. "I'm so sorry that I forgot." _

_ I sniffled, my face still buried in his shirt._

_ "I remembered when I drove by Frosted." He gave me a squeeze. "I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you. I'm terrible. I'm the worst dad ever, aren't I?" _

_ "You're not the _worst_ dad ever." I pulled away. _

_ "Care to share with your old man?" He held up two forks. _

_ I pursed my lips to the left, feigning thought. "Well…" I paused for dramatic effect. "I _guess_ so." _

_ He shook his head. "Brat." He muttered playfully. _

_ The candle was lit and I made a wish. We cut into the cup cake and talked about the day. I pretended to be interested in the wedding plans and we laughed the way we hadn't laughed in a while. _

_ It was nice. I had missed it. I had realized how much I missed him. _

**End of Flashbacks**

I came back to my senses as I felt something warm go down my cheek. I realized that I had started crying…and that I wanted something. I need something. Or rather _someone_.

I reached for my cell phone and pressed send. I waited in anticipation as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi," I began. "It's me." I waited for some sort of response. I didn't get one. "I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go grab some coffee with me. I know this fantastic coffee shop. I can give you the directions if you'd like."

We agreed to meet at the Daily Grind in an half an hour. I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, stopping to remove a certain article of jewelry from a previously untouched compartment in my jewelry box. I put on a little make up to cover up the dark circles that had appeared in the last week, grabbed a jacket and my purse and headed out the door, sneakers half way on.

I noticed him almost immediately. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt with the sleeved rolled up to just under his elbows and dark wash jeans. His hair was in that usual disarray that I had loved instantly the second I laid eyes on it again. He was perfect and he was all that I had ever wanted.

I went straight toward the table, and he stood when he saw me.

"Hi," I smiled, unsure of what gesture to use. I couldn't help myself, I wrapped my arms around him.

"H-hi." He stammered; it took him a few moments before he was able to relax and reciprocate the motion.

It had been too long and I wanted to stay like that forever. When we pulled apart, he offered me the chair across from him, pulling the chair out for me.

I thanked him and we sat in a comfortable silence.

A waitress came by and took our order, and yet we still said nothing.

Finally, he spoke.

"So are you ever going to tell me what really happened that day?"

**A/N: **That's enough for today I think. Reviews fuel the next chapter…just a suggestion. Please feel free to request/suggestion any ideas that you want to see. Thank you all!


	7. When It Rains

Still Around

Chapter 7 When It Rains

**A/N:** For Bella. :)

Where to begin? There was so much to cover, and such a short amount of time.

"I-I don't even know where to start?" I said softly, staring down at the smooth, glazed wooden table.

"Why did you decide to leave?" So that was where he wanted to start.

"Well," I began. "I don't really think that I ever had much of a choice. There were legal matters that had been botched and _he_ made the decision _for _me."

"You didn't leave because of _botched legal matters_, Sara." He was able to see right through me.

"Indeed." I replied crisply, as our drinks arrived. I took a sip of my tea before continuing.

"I couldn't stay, yet he gave me no time to say goodbye. I wanted to go back, Stefan. I really did. I just…" I couldn't bring myself to finish.

"So instead you decided to just pack up and leave." He couldn't even look at me.

"I was…dragged away. I wouldn't have stayed if…" I cut myself off.

"If what?" He finally turned to look at me.

"He chose them." I managed softly, staring down into my cup of tea.

He didn't answer me for a while. It felt like hours before he finally responded.

"What did you think he would do?"

"I-I don't know. I guess I sort of expected it to happen. I set myself up for failure." I didn't want to see the look in his eyes. I was positive that I could pinpoint the exact look of disappointment in his eyes without even looking at him. It was like no time had passed between us at all.

We sat in silence for some time, neither of us really knowing what to say.

"He misses you, you know. He always has."

I looked up, surprised. How was I supposed to respond to that?

"I'm sorry that I can't say the same." I lied.

"It could have worked out. You would have made it work. You would have found a way." This angered me.

"Things would most certainly have _not_ worked out." I snapped. "I gave him the ultimatum for a reason. He made his choice. He wanted them, so I did what was necessary and made it easier for all of us by severing all ties as quickly as possible."

I realized that I was being cold, but he wanted the truth, didn't he?

His jaw tightened. "That wasn't the only way out, Sara. You had options."

"What would you know? You weren't there. You didn't see the fervor in his eyes. You didn't see how quickly he was willing to toss me aside and run to them." I could feel my eyes beginning to sting from the memory. "You didn't feel the pain of having a parent reject you."

"Maybe he wouldn't have '_rejected_' you if you hadn't given him the ultimatum. I'm sure you were just trying to be dramatic, as usual. I know you, always wanting to shine like the little star that you are, but this…it isn't like you." His hand gently came to rest over my fingers. "So you've had a long time to cool off. We can deal with it. But where does that leave us?"

I barely heard his last sentence. My blood was boiling.

"First of all," I began, "I _did_ give him the ultimatum. What's done is done. No if's, or maybe's about it. Secondly, no I was _not_ being dramatic. And for your information, you _don't _know me. You haven't known me for a _very_ long time, and frankly I wish it'd have been forever. I'm _not_ that same bright-eyed, amateur thirteen year old that you used to know. Newsflash, I'm a freaking _supernova_ and I shine brighter than the fucking _sun_, _little _star my ass." I was burning with rage. How _dare _he try to say that he _knows_ me?

"Sara," He held up a hand quietly in an attempt to calm me.

"And last, but most certainly _not_ least, I'm _engaged._" I held up my left hand where my ring sparkled brightly.

He grimaced, obviously not enjoying the reminder.

"Therefore," I continued, "there is no _we_, and there is no _us_. Any problem that Damon Salvatore should present I will deal with on my _own_. I don't _need _you." I flung his hand from mine as though it disgusted me and stormed away from the table.

"Sara, wait!" He tried to come after me.

"I bid you good day, sir." I glared back at him, seething as I strode toward the door.

I didn't let the hot, angry tears fall until I was half way down the street. My jumbled thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing.

Griffin's picture popped up on the electronic screen. I pressed the button on my steering wheel to answer it.

"Hello?" I half sniffled, hoping he wouldn't catch on.

"Hey—wait, what's wrong?" His voice shifted from cheerful to concerned immediately.

"Allergies." I lied. "What's up?"

"We have to be at the school earlier to set up and make sure they didn't mess up the paperwork again. Do you want me to pick you up?" I could hear him walking across the hardwood floors in his apartment.

"Uhm," I bit my lip in thought. Did I really want him to do that? Did I really want him? I couldn't think straight. "Sure. Just give me an hour to get everything." I didn't want to give _anyone_ any excuse to take me anywhere. Especially anyone with a Salvatore name.

"Okay, see you then." He agreed. "Love you."

I was so distracted that I could barely reply with an "I know."

I pulled into my parking spot and numbly moved up the stairs to my apartment. I sat on my bed for a while, staring blankly into my closet. I tried my best to fight off the long buried memories, but they came anyway.

**Age 13**

_"Stefan, NOOOO!" I screamed as I ran through the rosebush maze in my grandparents' garden. _

_ "Your attempt to evade me is futile. I can very easily hop the bushes to catch you." His voice taunted behind me. I could hear the grin in it. _

_ "But Stefan, that's—cheating!" I was surprised to find that he _had_ hopped over the bushes and was now right behind me. _

_ "Gotcha!" He tackled me to the ground and began to tickle me mercilessly. _

_ "Noooo!" I howled in protest, my fits of laughter cutting me off. "Stop!" I begged. _

_ "If you can give me one very good reason, then I'll stop." He proposed. _

_ "B-b-because I love you?" I tried to choke out. _

_ It worked. _

_ "What?" He paused, his green eyes shining in the overcast light of midday. _

_ I took my chance while he was distracted to push him away and run up the stairs into the house. _

_ "Hey! Wait for me!" He called after me. _

_ "Catch me if you can!" I cried slipping through the French doors. _

_ "You two better come inside. It looks like it's going to rain." My grandmother looked up from the newspaper she was reading at the kitchen counter. _

_ "We'll stay in-side." Stefan's voice cracked as he stepped inside. "Hate it when that happens." He muttered to himself. _

_ "Wouldn't you rather have a nice, deeper, mellow voice?" His mother took a sip of tea from her mug. "It'll have to crack to get there." _

_ "I hate puberty." He grumbled. _

_ "Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes. _

_ "Go on, you poor, depressing teenagers. Get out of here." She shooed us away. _

_ "We should make sure the shutters in the attic are shut before it starts to rain." Stefan suggested. _

_ "Yes! I was going to send your father to do it, but you two can just go ahead." Grandmother called after us. _

_ We trudged up the three flights of stairs to the attic and began to close the shutters and then the windows. The skies had darkened significantly in the last few minutes. _

_ "I love the rain."I inhaled deeply the smell of the coming rain. _

_ "The rain is okay." Stefan plopped himself onto the rug in between the two old couches. _

_ We hung out up here often. There were old board games, family pictures, and all sorts of strange things stored in the attic. Plus it was insulated so it stayed cool in the summer and warm-ish in the winter. _

_ I sat down cross-legged across from him. _

_ "So?" I began. _

_ "So," He repeated. _

_ We sat in silence for a few moments. There was nothing like a calm silence with Stefan. _

_ "Did you mean what you said before? Y'know…out there…" He trailed off quietly. _

_ I thought for a moment. He wouldn't make eye contact with me. _

_ "When I said that I love you?" My forehead creased nervously. _

_ "Yeah," He almost whispered. _

_ I bit my lip in thought. "Yes." _

_ He locked eyes with me. "I love you, too." His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb running along my jawbone. _

_ "I know." I replied. His eyes were so distracting, such a compelling mixture of gray and green all at once. _

_ It happened so quickly. I barely felt his lips brush over mine, softly, tenderly. It was…magical, I suppose you could say. _

_ But it was over just like that. _

_ "Sara Rachel Salvatore! What the hell are you doing?" Came my father's roar from the doorway. _

_ I hadn't even heard him come up the stairs. _

_ "And you! She's your niece! This is _COMPLETELY_ unacceptable!" I thought he was going to punch Stefan. _

_ "Daddy it's not what you think it is." I moved to step in front of Stefan. _

_ Stefan turned to look at me, his eyes hurt. _

_ "Of course not, because there's _NOTHING _here. Everything is _OVER_." He grabbed my arm and began to pull me out of the room. _

_ "Daddy," I begged. "Daddy, listen to me. It isn't anything. You don't have to worry." _

_ "Just shut up." He growled as we hit the second floor, his speed only increasing as we descended. _

_ "Damon, wait!" Stefan hurriedly tried to catch up. _

_ "What is going on?" My grandmother appeared at the bottom of the stairs. _

_ "Damon!" Stefan caught his shoulder. _

_ "Don't touch me." He jerked away. "And stay away from her." He gestured at me. _

_ "Wait!" My grandmother stepped in front of him. "What is going on? You're not allowed to leave until you tell me." _

_ "Ask _him_." Damon sneered at Stefan. "They're engaging in incestual activities. He is to stay away from her at all times." He glared at Stefan now. His eyes were burning with anger. _

_ "Damon, they're just kids. It's okay for them to be curious. And they're not even _really_ related." She touched his shoulder. "Just calm down." _

_ "I will not have you telling me how to parent my own child." Damon pulled away and began to drag me to the door. _

_ "Damon!" She yelled after him, her face creasing with worry. _

_ "I will do this on my own, mother!" He called back, his jaw tense. _

_ I struggled to wrench myself from his iron grip, so instead I unzipped my jacket and left it in his hand. _

_ "Stefan!" I ran forward immediately. His arms welcomed me, but not for long. _

_ "Sara Rachel Salvatore, get your ass back here _NOW_!" Damon was infuriated now. _

_ "No." I locked eyes with him. _

_ "_DO NOT DISOBEY ME!_" He marched forward, pulling my arm as we went back to the door. _

_ I managed to rip free again, but this time he grabbed my hair. _

_ "Let her go!" Stefan's voice cracked again as he yelled at Damon. _

_ "OWWWWW!" I howled as he dragged me down the front steps. "Daddy, it isn't anything. Why won't you listen to me?" _

_ "Bull shit, Sara. He's your fucking UNCLE! What the HELL were you thinking?" He shoved me into the backseat of his car. _

_ "What do you think is going on? It's not the kind of relationship you think it is, Dad. We're not doing anything." My eyes were stinging with tears. _

_ "I've seen enough. I don't need this going any further. Heaven forbid something terrible happen. You're not to associate with him in any kind of romantic way." _

_ My tears began to fall. "But Daddy!"_

_ "Don't, Sara. Not now." He held up his hand telling me to stop. "I don't want to hear it." _

_ "But Daddy, I love him. I love Stefan." I choked, tears running uncontrollably. "And you can't stop it." I met his eyes in the rearview mirror. _

_ He slammed on the brakes. _

_ "You _WHAT_?" He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around to look at me face to face. _

_ "I love him." I sniffled. "I love Stefan." I looked him in the eye, challenging him._

_ "Like hell you do." He snarled at me. "You are _NEVER _to see him again. Do you understand me?" _

_ I didn't reply. I stared at him angrily, biting my tongue to keep from screaming. _

_ "_DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YOUNG LADY?" _He growled, his eyes were fierce and menacing. I had never seen him like this before. _

_ For the first time in my life I genuinely feared Damon Salvatore._

_ "Yes, sir." My lips barely moved. _

_ "Good." He turned back into his seat. "End of discussion." _

_ I bit my tongue the whole way home. Instead I glared at him, if I could have burned holes in the rearview mirror, I would have. _

_ When he pulled into the garage, I took my chances and spoke again. _

_ "It's HER, isn't it? She's filled your head with lies, hasn't she?" _

_ Rose had gone and told him that she didn't like that Stefan and I spent so much time together. That it was unnatural for us to be so close. She planted the seeds of hatred into his mind. _

_ "End of discussion, Sara." He growled at me, as he got off of the car. _

_ "I hate you." I muttered quietly, walking behind him the whole way up to the apartment. _

_ "You want to talk about something?" He asked, changing the subject. "You know that summer trip to California that you wanted? Now seems like the _perfect_ time to take a vacation." _

_ I glared at him. There was only one reason why I wanted to go to California. I just wanted to find out who my real parents were. He didn't know, and even if he did, he wouldn't tell me. I'd have to find it on my own. _

_ "Fantastic." I replied sarcastically, slamming the door to my room behind me. _

**Present Day**

"Hellooooooo, Sara? Anybody home?" A hand waved in front of my eyes. It took me a second to realize that it was Griffin.

"Griff," My head snapped toward him and I launched myself into his arms. I squeezed him tightly, trying to pull myself into the world that he represented. The world that I had chosen for myself.

"Are you okay? You've been acting kind of funny." He looked at me.

"Yeah, just…I missed you." I buried my nose into the base of his neck.

"You…_missed _me. Okay. That's why I told you we should just move in together. We're at each other's places all the time anyway.

"Yeah…sounds good." I nodded. I didn't want to deal with the real world right now. I just wanted Griffin.

I had made my choice when I accepted his proposal. I couldn't go back anymore.

The buzzing from my vibrating phone brought my attention to the nightstand where it was charging.

_Stefan_.

"Why is _he_ calling you?" Griffin went to the phone.

I couldn't go back. I wouldn't go back.

But what if I _needed_ to go back?

**A/N:** Meh. Kind of a cliffhanger? Questions, comments, protests in reviews please and thank you!


	8. Turning Point

Still Around

Chapter 8 Turning Point

**A/N:** Onward we shall go!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own VD or the lines that I have take from Glee.

_The buzzing from my vibrating phone brought my attention to the nightstand where it was charging. _

_Stefan_.__

_ "Why is he calling you?" Griffin went to the phone._

_ I couldn't go back. I wouldn't go back. _

_ But what if I needed to go back?_

I didn't think twice about hitting the ignore button.

"Shall we go?" I turned to him.

"You didn't grab your clothes," He gestured to the empty duffel bag next to me.

"Oh, uhm…" I hurried entered my closet and took the first few items that I saw. "Tights, shirt, shoes, dress," I listed them off as I shoved them into the duffel bag.

"Do we have a theme going on here?" Griffin asked as I stepped into the bathroom to grab my makeup case. "A little morbid, isn't it? All black." He busied himself with actually folding the clothing while I tried to concentrate myself.

I stuffed the case into the bag and went back into the closet for a few more things. When I added those to the bag, I paced the room like a caged animal, trying to remember if I needed anything else.

"I like these." Griffin held up a pair of lacy black and white panties.

"Of course you would." I was too distracted to engage in banter with him.

He sighed, zipping up the duffel bag. "Alright then, let's hit the road."

I followed him out the door wordlessly.

**Later that evening…**

"She's late. I hate it when people are late." I growled. I had reserved the auditorium for my first meeting with Alyssa. I wanted it to be on my territory rather than his, I felt safer here than anywhere else.

"Relax, she'll be here." Rooney, a mixer with caramel colored skin and mocha dread locks tried to reassure me from where he was cleaning up behind his equipment.

"How was your meeting?" I asked him, trying to stop myself from pacing more.

"The kid's great. I can't wait to work with him, real talented." He shook his head as he wound up some cords and placed them into the bulky black cases he so often toted.

"That's cool." I nodded, sitting myself on the edge of the stage, letting my legs swing over the side into the pit.

"Well see ya later. I'm gonna go home and get to work on something for this kid to work on." He smiled and waved as he left me alone.

I nodded. The sheer size of the auditorium had once awed and frightened me. It was far bigger than anything I had ever seen before. Now it felt cozy, intimate, like home. It was, after all, where I had gotten my start.

But right now, as I waited for Alyssa to show up, I couldn't help but think of that fateful first performance. My life had come full circle today as I sat in that same auditorium where it had all ended and begun, as I stood on that same stage where my career had taken flight, that same stage where I had made my choice.

"Hello?" A timid voice called from the very back of the auditorium as the door opened. The light shining in from the outside was blinding and I fumbled with the tiny control in my hand.

With the push of a button all lights in the house and on stage were cut and I ran backstage.

It was now or never. I couldn't run from him forever.

"Hello?" She called again.

"Sara?" _His_ voice cut through the darkness. "Are you in here?"

I forced myself to step out onto the pitch black stage.

"Some lights would be _fantastic_." He was sarcastic now.

I toyed with the control before turning on the stage lights. Unfortunately, I had realized that they were on full blast. The whole stage burst into light, the full force of every light bulb including the spot blazed straight onto the stage.

"Mother of-" I cursed, blindly covering my eyes.

"I can't see!" Alyssa shut her eyes tightly.

I dimmed the lights slightly, before uncovering my eyes. "Much better."

"How is this any better?" Damon shielded his eyes as he and Alyssa took the side stairs onto the stage.

"I think I might have been blinded." Alyssa pouted a little.

"Most spots are twenty-five hundred watts," I pointed at it.

"Can we kill the spot light?" Damon asked, removing his leather jacket from the heat.

"This one, however," I continued. "Is ten times brighter."

"Isn't that a bit much?" He moved Alyssa to stand in front of him, turned away from the spotlight.

"You'll have to wear sunscreen onstage, but it's worth it." I shut off the light, leaving only the now dimmed stage lights.

"Cool!" She now left her father standing alone as she moved across the stage to explore it.

"Wait!" I held a hand up to stop her.

She froze, her wide blue eyes growing even wider. "Y-yes?"

"You're late. I won't tolerate that." I crossed my arms. "Until you've earned the status of a star you are to be on time to _every_ meeting. Is that clear?" It was time to show her that I was not to be toyed with. It was a privilege to be trained by me and I would not be taken lightly.

"Yes, ma'am!" She grinned brightly at me. I was finding it hard to dislike her. She was almost…endearing with her doe-like eyes and wispy blonde hair.

"Good, that will be rule number one." I moved to pull the yellow folder from my purse.

She nodded like an over-eager chipmunk and I had to fight the urge to smile as the corners of my lips twitched.

"Now, you know who I am, and I've looked over your file, so I won't waste time with formal introductions." I dug through the folder to pull out the handbook.

"But hi, I'm Sara; nice to meet you." I held out my hand to her.

"I-I don't understand," She took my hand anyway.

"You don't _really_ know me. You only know what you've seen on stage." I explained.

"I've read a lot about you." She searched my eyes for some sort of approval.

I didn't know whether I should be flattered or creeped out.

"Uh…okay." I pressed my lips together. "But you shouldn't believe everything that they say about me."

"Okay!" She was just trembling with energy.

"Alright…" This was going to be interesting. "With that being said, shall we get started? Show me what you can do."

"Right now?" She squeaked with a terrified look.

"Yeah, right now." I gestured to the open stage. "If you got in here, you've got _some_ talent, now let's see it."

"Bye, Daddy!" She turned to push Damon towards the stairs.

"What? Why do I have to leave?" Damon shuffled forward.

"Because I don't like it when you watch. I don't like it when people watch in general." She continued until he had reached the bottom of the stairs. "See you later! I'll call you when we're done."

"Alyssa, if you want to succeed you're going to have to get over your fear of people watching." I shook my head at her.

"Does it have to be right now?" She was absolutely terrified of the idea.

I thought about it for a second. We'd have to work on it.

"Perhaps it _is_ better that you leave." I turned to Damon.

His eyes flashed, almost as if my words had a double meaning.

"Alright," He held his hands up in a truce. "I'll see you later." I wasn't sure if it was meant for me, Alyssa, or both of us, but he looked at me when he said it.

Neither of us relaxed until the door shut behind him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She rushed at me, throwing her arms around me.

"Uh, no problem." I wriggled from her embrace to pat her on the head awkwardly.

"Can I ask you something?" She followed me across the stage.

"I suppose." I eyed her warily.

"Why do you look at my dad like you're half terrified, half burning with rage?"

It struck me then that she didn't know. Why hadn't he told her? It made no sense.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to brush her off.

Unfortunately, she persisted.

"I'm not stupid." She stood before me, innocently. How could I lie to her?

"It's complicated." I settled for a neutral answer.

"I've got time." She sat down cross-legged on the stage.

"Here," I handed her the yellow folder and the handbook. "Look these over."

I left her there on the stage while I fled for backstage, muttering something about lights.

She had no idea exactly how very, _very_ complicated everything was.

**Eleven years prior**

_I was surprised at how quiet the train stations here were. I was so used to the hustle and bustle of New York, that Los Angeles seemed almost peaceful. As I glanced down at my map, fear and excitement coursed through my veins. This was it. I was going to meet my parents, my _real_ parents. _

_ I had to work through some tricky situations to get their last known address, but in the end I got it. Now as I had to navigate my way through the well manicured lawns of this neighborhood, hoping that I was going in the right direction, doubt hit me for the first time. _

_ What if it wasn't them? What if they didn't live there anymore? What if they didn't know me? What if they really hadn't wanted me? _

_ I followed the map, taking care to follow the street signs, and took a right on Cedar Ave. All of the houses looked similar to me, with their neutral paint colors and their close cut grass. A fat tabby cat crossed the sidewalk in front of me and I began to pray. _

_ Then there it was, 1143 Cedar Ave. _

_ I came to a stop in front of a tall, light gray house. It had a white picket fence and rose bushes along the first story window. It wasn't by any means intimidating, yet I felt as though my heart would pound right out of my chest. _

_ My hands shook as I pushed open the gate and walked under the archway. The flower lined walkway up to the door felt like miles, and yet it ended all too soon. I hadn't even figured out what I would say. _

_ I couldn't very well just knock on the door going, "Hey, so I'm your daughter, the one that you gave up for adoption thirteen years ago," now could I ?_

_ I could feel my heart pounding in my mouth as I pushed the button to ring the doorbell. As I heard it ring, I felt sick. I had been crazy. This was a big mistake. I shouldn't have come. _

_ I was about to turn around and leave, when the door opened revealing a young man dressed in khaki slacks and a light blue cashmere sweater over a white and grey striped button down shirt. He had a full head of soft looking dark brown hair and brown eyes framed by rectangular glasses. He seemed nice enough._

_ "H-hi?" I wasn't sure who I was speaking to, so I wasn't sure what to say. _

_ "Uh…we're set with girl scout cookies for the next few months, but thanks anyway." He waved before starting to close the door. _

_ Girl Scout cookies? Really? I'd always had a baby face, but this was ridiculous. _

_ "Wait!" I put my hand out to stop him. "I'm not peddling girl scout cookies." _

_ He paused for a second, as if in thought. "Ohhhhh, of course!" He exclaimed. "Come in, I'll get you the check right now." _

_ Check? What the heck was going on? I took the invitation and stepped inside anyway. _

_ The house was freezing in comparison to the ninety degree weather outside. It was easy to see that the white, preppy, suburban décor continued inside. The neutral color scheme of creams, beiges, whites, and grays was almost overwhelming. _

_ "Alonso, quien es?" A woman descended down the stairs in front of me. "Hola, como estas?" She greeted me. _

_ "Bien, y usted?" I replied, finally having an excuse to use my seven years of Spanish classes. _

_ "Oh, you speak Spanish!" She laughed. "I'm sorry; I didn't peg you as one to actually speak it. _

_ She was pretty, with dark wavy hair and brown eyes that appeared almost sad. She too was dressed in a preppy manner, a deep blue pencil skirt and a light gray short sleeve button down blouse tucked into it and a thin silver belt. _

_ "Here you go, send your mother our greetings." The man named Alonso reappeared and came towards me with a check in his hands. _

_ "Oh, no!" I held up my hands. "I'm not here for that. You must be mistaken." _

_ He gave me a puzzled look. _

_ "You _are _uhm, Alonso and Maria…Vallejo, right?" I glanced at the copies of documents that I had in my hands. _

_ "Yes," He nodded. "But who are _you_?"_

_ Oh boy. Here it goes. _

_ "You might want to sit down." I told them. _

_ "What's going on?" Maria exchanged a look with Alonso. _

_ "Alright, don't sit." I pressed my lips together. "I know this is going to sound a little crazy that I know this, but thirteen years ago you had a daughter that you gave up for adoption, yes?" _

_ "Yes, but how would you know that?" Maria took a step towards me. "How would anyone know that? Those records were supposed to have been sealed." _

_ How to put it?_

_ "Well…" I stalled for a moment. "Point is…that was me. Or rather, that _is_ me." _

_ "W-what?" They were shocked. _

_ "I-I don't believe it!" Maria shook her head furiously. "How?"_

_ I sighed. "I had to do some digging and lots of research, but eventually I found you. It's taken me nearly all summer." _

_ "But how?" She repeated, this time coming forward to cup my face in her hands. _

_ I didn't know how to respond as tears began to well in her eyes. _

_ "We searched for you for years, but they told us that you were taken into a closed adoption. We tried to make contact in some way, but they wouldn't let us." Her sad eyes seemed even sadder now. _

_ "I can't say that I'm surprised." I whispered. _

_ She took me by surprise when she suddenly pulled me to her, wrapping her arms around me. _

_ "I never thought I'd see you again." Her body shook with sobs. _

_ "Why, I just want to know why." I tried to pull away. This was…strange for me. I didn't even know her and yet she was hugging me. But then again, she _was_ my mother. _

_ "We didn't want to give you up."Alonso spoke from where he had decided to take a seat on the plush white settee. "There was a mix up with paperwork and the hospital. By the time that we managed to convince our parents that it would be best to keep you, it was too late. We tried to find you, but with a closed adoption, it was virtually impossible unless you came looking for us." _

_ "I-I don't understand." I shook my head. This time it was my turn to cry. _

_ "We were fifteen," Maria pulled me closer to her chest, her thumb stroking my cheek. "Not even old enough to drive, they said, how were we supposed to raise a baby? We had been irresponsible, and even though we agreed to get married, both of our parents were outraged." _

_ Fifteen. Just two years older than I was. I couldn't imagine having to raise a baby at that age. _

_ "Surely, there must have been something you could have done." I continued, tears streaming uncontrollably from my eyes. _

_ "There probably was, but we had no contacts, no money. Our parents were dirt poor and spoke very little English." Alonso shook his head. "Who was going to listen to a pair of fifteen year olds? Everyone else would just tell us the same thing, you were better off elsewhere." _

_ "Just please don't make me go back." I begged. "I don't want to go back." _

_ "Go back where, mami?" Maria stroked my hair. "Where are…your parents?" _

_ I sniffled, pulling away. "Damon Salvatore," I cleared my throat. "The man who adopted me, lives in New York." _

_ "New York?" She made a face. "How did you get here?"_

_ "I've wanted to come here for a while. Y'know, to try to find you. He found this boarding school here, and when I begged him to let me apply, he finally gave in." I wiped at my eyes. _

_ "What I don't understand is how he would let you come here by yourself." She shook her head. _

_ "That's easy," I snorted. "He's pissed off at me. He didn't think twice about it." _

_ "That's ridiculous." She shook her head. "Alonso, _do something_." She wrung her hands. _

_ "Y que quieres que haga? Esta fuera de mis manos." He stood, flinging his hands out in desperation. _

_ "We never signed." She took his hands, her eyes frantically searching his face. "That's got to be worth something!" _

_ He nodded. "I'll have to call Prichett. It'll take some time, but I think we might have a chance." _

_ She nodded furiously. "Okay, we can do this." Then she turned back to me. "You won't go back if you don't want to. Not if we can help it." She smiled as she took my hands. _

_ In the next few weeks I learned that Alonso had built a restaurant empire from the ground up and now had a chain of several restaurants across southern California. Maria helped him with the interior design of the businesses and had her own small company on the side, working for several restaurants, stores, and private homeowners in the area. _

_ I felt closer to them than I had ever felt to anyone. And with good reason, the genetic bond was stronger than anything I'd ever been exposed to. _

_ Making the choice to stay with them wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, as I'd hoped it would be. It was easier to stay than to have to return to a world that I had grown to despise. The only person that I would regret leaving behind would be Stefan. I didn't even get to say goodbye. _

**Present Time**

__"Sara?" Alyssa's face popped up in front of mine. "Are you okay?"

"What?" I flinched away from her.

"You zoned out for like five minutes." She looked at me worriedly. "Maybe you should go home and get some sleep."

"No," I shook my head absentmindedly. "Don't worry about it."

"Does that mean I still have to dance?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "That's exactly what it means.

**A/N: That's all for now! Review please! **

**Translations in order:**

_Alonso, quien es?_- Alonso, who is it?

_Hola, como estas?_- Hi, how are you?

_Bien, y usted_?- Fine, and you?

_Y que quieres que haga? Esta fuera de mis manos._- And what do you want me to do? It's out of my hands.


	9. Your Life and Mine  Part I

Still Around

Chapter 9: Your Life and Mine (Part I)

**A/N:** For Soann-Chan, who was brave enough to bring up the fact that the main character has a tendency to come off as less than likeable. Thank you for sharing! And as for anyone else who wishes to share their thoughts, I find it absolutely fascinating.

This chapter and the following one have been inspired by the song _Your Life and Mine_ by Just Surrender.

"Gri-_iff_," I whined in exasperation. "You're not helping here."

Griffin and I sat at his kitchen table, wedding brochures, magazines, and flyers littered the area around us.

"I told you," He sighed. "Whatever you want to do is fine by me. I don't care if we release doves or butterflies or even pigeons."

I glared at him. We had been at it for nearly three hours, in an attempt to actually get some wedding planning done. Needless to say, more arguing than planning was done.

I wanted something big; he wanted something small. I wanted an organ player; he wanted a string quartet. I wanted to book the crystal cathedral; he wanted to reserve a private garden.

Three hours later, he was frustrated beyond repair and was now simply agreeing with all of my suggestions.

"Fine!" I threw my hands up in defeat. "I'll compromise. We can do the string quartet, but if we don't go with the church, both of my grandmothers will disown me."

He didn't even respond verbally, merely shaking his head.

"I hate it when you do that, you know." I kicked him playfully under the table and then got up to pick up the brochures that had somehow ended up on the floor.

"Sorry." He mumbled, moving to arrange everything into stacks and call it a day.

"Alright, are you hungry? Maybe we should get something to eat." I massaged his shoulders as I rested my chin on his head.

"Eh, not really." He shrugged me off. "Just tired, I guess."

"Oh, okay." I nodded, trying to hide the hurt from my face. He had been acting like this for a while and it wasn't like him. I was starting to worry, but whenever I brought it up he made excuses or changed the subject.

I considered calling him out on it, but then my phone began to ring. Beethoven's fifth echoed through the kitchen.

"Oh boy." I grimaced, knowing all too well who that ringtone belonged to. "What could he possibly want _now?_"

_Damon_, my phone read and continued to ring persistently.

"Hello?" I tried to answer in my most neutral tone.

"Sara?" Alyssa's timid voice came from the other end.

"What's up, Lyss?" I softened slightly. It was difficult to ever be truly mad at her.

I had grown somewhat attached to her in the past few weeks. She was just so tiny and innocent that I felt the need to sort of protect her. I suppose it could be seen the way an older sibling protects a younger sibling.

"I was just wondering…if maybe you could help me with this assignment for my music theory class." She sort of whimpered. "It's just that Daddy doesn't understand this stuff…and we just thought that you could…"

"Sure, Alyssa. I'll be there in a bit." I agreed. Our self-confidence lessons were making _very_ slow progress.

"Really?" The surprise in her voice was almost offensive.

"Sure." I half rolled my eyes. "Actually…" I paused as an idea hit me. "I was just going to grab some dinner, but if you guys are hungry too, I can pick up some Chinese food or something, if you'd like."

I waited as she consulted Damon on my offer.

"Daddy said it's okay." She replied.

"Okay, cool. Any special requests?" I asked.

"Uhm, Uncle Stefan likes chicken dumplings…" She trailed off.

"Alright. I…like those too." I nodded to myself. Coincidence? Maybe. "Anything else?"

"No, he's the only one that's a little picky."

"Okay, then I'll go pick that up and be there in about forty minutes." I told her before we hung up.

"You know," Griffin spoke from behind me, "there's always Vegas."

I shot him a glare. "I don't think so." I playfully smacked him.

He smiled at me. How I had missed that smile. "So you're going over there?"

"Yeah, she needs help with some music theory." I leaned against the table. "You can fend for yourself for a little while, can't you?"

"I suppose." He turned away dramatically. "But I'll be awaiting your return." He shot me a suggestive look with his blue eyes.

"I'm gonna hold you to that." I winked at him.

"You should get out of here before I change my mind about letting you go." He moved to stand and pull me to his chest.

"You're _letting_ me go?" I pulled back to feign offense.

"Yes. Because if I had it my way…we wouldn't be standing here right now." His lips came in contact with my jaw line and then down the side of my neck.

"And where would we be instead?" I tried to keep my thoughts straight, but it was difficult with him unbuttoning my polo shirt while running his tongue along the base of my neck.

"We'd be a bit more…horizontal, if you will." He replied.

My eyes flicked over to the clock above the counter, and I knew that if I didn't leave now, I would be terribly late.

"Sorry," I gently nudged him away. "It's going to have to wait until tonight."

"Alright, alright." He held his hands up as he backed off. "But as I previously stated, I'll be waiting."

"Tempting, but I have to go." I pressed a quick kiss to his lips as I turned to leave.

"Mmmm, that ass!" He called after me as I was about to step into the hallway.

I turned and shot him one of my thousand watt smiles. He waved at me as I closed the door.

I shook my head. He could be so wonderful sometimes. And then get on my last nerves just a few minutes later. He had been hot and cold for quite some time now. These mood swings were confusing and frustrating. But on the bright side…his mood seemed to improve.

I placed the order by phone while in the elevator so that it would be ready by the time I reached the restaurant.

Despite the fact that I was still mad at Stefan for pushing all of my buttons last time I saw him, I couldn't help but feel a little excited. I know that that shouldn't be excited at all, but what could I do about it? I had never really stopped loving him.

**Meanwhile at the Salvatore Household… Damon's POV**

"Have you seen my blazer?" Stefan strode quickly through the living room where Alyssa and I had camped out with her homework.

"It's in the closet under the stairs." I glanced up from my GQ magazine and had to do a double take.

He was dressed in dark grey slacks and a deep blue dress shirt. I knew that news travelled fast, but I didn't expect him to get _dressed up_ for her.

"You look nice, Uncle Stefan." Alyssa commented from where she kneeled over the coffee table.

Then I noticed he had the keys to his Porsche in his hand. What?

"Where are _you_ going?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Out." He replied crisply.

He had been particularly snippy the past few weeks. Sure, he was usually moody and broody, but this was out of the ordinary.

"Okay…" I wasn't sure if I should press him for more.

"Sara will be here in a few minutes, Uncle Stefan." Alyssa blinked innocently at him.

"Oh?" He froze in his tracks. "Really?" He tried to play it off casually, but it failed.

"Yeah, she's bringing Chinese food." She nodded brightly. "I told her to bring chicken dumplings, your favorite. She likes those too."

I could tell that he was fighting with the emotions that appeared on his face. He went from full on surprise, to fighting off a smile, and finally settling on a neutral, emotionless expression.

"I-uh-it's too bad. I already have plans." He shrugged in a nonchalant manner.

"It's not too late to cancel." Alyssa piped up.

"But that," He pressed his lips together, "would be rude, Lyss."

"It's ruder to leave Sara hanging." She shot back at him without even looking up from a sketch that she was working on.

"Not quite." Stefan shook his head.

"I go through all this trouble, calling her, pretending to not understand minor scales, lying to her, to get her to come over. All of this for you and _this_ is how you repay me." She sighed dramatically.

"Alyssa!" I was shocked. "You said you didn't understand!"

She shrugged innocently. "But Daddy, it was the only way."

"I-I don't…" Stefan was flabbergasted.

"This is…unacceptable." I wasn't sure how to discipline her for this.

"Fine, if you _must_ know." Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've got a date tonight."

At this, Alyssa and I exchanged a surprised look.

"_Really_?" It was my turn to try to not look surprised. "With whom, if I may ask."

"She's just an old friend." He tried to brush me off. "Rose actually introduced us."

"Oh?" Now I was _really_ intrigued.

"Yes, now if you'll excuse me," He began to make his way toward the back door. "I don't think I'll make a very good impression if I'm late."

"But Uncle Stefan!" Alyssa called after him.

"Good night, Alyssa." He didn't even turn back.

I had to run to reach the door before he did. "Now wait just a second." I put myself in his path. "How do I know you're not making this up?"

"Katherine Pierce." He grabbed my shoulder and shoved me aside. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Rose."

What was I supposed to do, hold him hostage? He obviously didn't think to inform me that my mission of taking down Griffin could be aborted. But then again, I doubted that this would go well, not while his heart was still here.

**Sara's POV**

I pulled up in front of the large beige house still grumbling from the collision I had just avoided. Stupid little red sports car thought he was so hot that he didn't need to obey stop sign laws.

"Idiot." I muttered as I rang the doorbell.

"Hi!" Alyssa threw open the door and took one of the bags from me.

"Hey." I replied flatly.

"What's wrong?" Her eyes suddenly clouded with worry.

"Nothing. I just narrowly avoided being rear ended by some guy in a red sports car." I shrugged as I followed her into the living room. "He thought he was _so_ hot in his sixties Porsche that stop sign laws be damned."

"Sixties Porsche?" Damon appeared from a hallway off to the side.

"At least. It might have been older." I shook my head. "Well regardless, fuck him. Thinks he's so hot. We'll see how hot he is when he totals it." I was steaming. If there was one possession of mine that I guarded with my life it was my car. How I adored my limited edition Audi that Daddy had somehow managed to obtain. They had only made two thousand of them and I had one of the four hundred blue ones. Any repairs that would have to be made would give even my father a run for his money.

"Don't say that word." I added as an afterthought to Alyssa.

"Sixty-three Porsche." Damon sat on the couch across from the coffee table.

"Okay…" I tried to just shrug it off now.

"And that was Stefan by the way." He added.

Wait what?

"What?" I was slightly taken aback.

"It's a sixty-three Porsche. And it's like his baby." He proceeded to pull out the little square containers of rice and chicken.

"Well…I…" I couldn't even think of how to respond. Well fuck him, indeed. But I couldn't say that, now could I?

"Don't worry; I'll pass along the message." He smirked at me.

"He must have a death wish." I muttered.

"Oh, well more dumplings for me!" Alyssa held up the bag of dumplings triumphantly.

"Hey, you better share!" I plucked it from her hand.

"Only if you show me how to use these." She held up a pair of chopsticks.

"You don't know how to use chopsticks?" I was shocked. I looked at Damon, but he was busy piling chow mein onto his plate with a pair of said utensils.

He had taught me early on how to use chopsticks. I had even impressed adults with my chopstick skills. And when we took a trip to China when I was seven, I was proud of myself for not having to ask for a fork.

"I just don't get it." She shook her head. "It's like trying to forage for a meal with a pair of number two pencils."

I burst out laughing and even Damon let out a small chuckle.

"Don't laugh!" She looked at me pleadingly. "I'm serious. What if I go to China one day and I'm forced to ask for a fork!"

"Okay, okay," I held up a hand to calm her down and took the chopsticks from her. Using the hair tie that I had around my wrist, I tied the pair of chopsticks together, so that they would always stay together. "The rubber band trick." I held them out to her. "You'll learn in no time."

Dinner was relatively uneventful. Alyssa chattered on about school and the like, keeping the conversation flowing for the most part.

Afterwards, Damon cleaned up while I explained the minor scales to Alyssa. She caught on quickly and was able to complete her assignment in no time.

"You can do these in your sleep now." I said to Alyssa as I placed her worksheets into her music binder.

"Yeah…" She stuffed everything into her backpack. "These are so easy."

I wasn't sure if I should leave now.

"Uncle Stefan had a hot date tonight." She said suddenly.

What? That was most certainly something I never expected to hear from her.

"I'm sorry," I furrowed my eyebrows. "Did you just use 'Uncle Stefan' and '_hot date_' in the same sentence?"

"Yeah, apparently." She nodded, as if it was something that occurred frequently.

"Well…" I didn't know what to say. I tried to hide any emotions from my face. "That's…nice. Good for him."

Alyssa raised her eyebrows at me.

"What?" I asked. "What do you want me to say?"

"That's it?" She asked. "That's all you're gonna say?"

"Was there something else I was supposed to say?" I eyed her warily.

"No." She shook her head. "Will you help me with my life science homework? I can't freehand the human ear without something to look at." She changed the subject abruptly.

"You want me to be an ear model?" I stared at her, trying to bore into her with my eyes. I knew she wanted to say more but didn't.

"Uh-huh. Turn that way." She turned my face to the side so that she could study my ears.

After she finished with my ears, she wanted me to stay and watch Tangled with her. I begrudgingly agreed after she guilted me into it with stories of no one wanting to watch it with her.

Damon emerged from his office and brought popcorn with him. He, however, returned to his office, claiming that he had papers to grade.

About halfway through the movie, Alyssa plopped herself down in front of me and I French braided her hair. Her baby fine hair was difficult to keep down, so I had to make sure to keep it extra tight.

"Oww!" She hissed, her hand flying to her scalp.

"Sorry!" I winced in apology. "Sorry! It's just that your hair is so fine. It needs to be super tight so that it will stay."

"It's okay." She pulled her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I guess I can't complain. I don't get my hair done often."

"Doesn't your mother do your hair?" Surely Rose did her daughter's hair. My mother and I always bonded when we did each other's hair.

"No." She snorted. "Mom spends more time out of town than she does with me. I can count the number of times that she's done my hair on my hand."

Wow. I was honestly surprised. Sure, Rose had never been particularly _motherly_ with me, but I always attributed it to the fact that she hated me. I figured that she would be more caring with her own child. Apparently not.

"You know what she told me when she called last week?" Alyssa toyed with the end of her braid as she moved to sit beside me. "I asked her when she was coming back, and she told me that she didn't know, most likely in a few weeks. She's been gone since August."

I didn't know that Rose was so distant from her family. I knew that she had been away on a business trip, but I didn't think that it had gone on for so long. How could she be away from them for so long? Obviously, her relationship with her daughter was hurting, I could only imagine how Damon was feeling. He absolutely adored her. Or at least…he _had_ before.

"I'm sorry, Alyssa." I didn't really know what to say. "I didn't know…that things were like that."

"Sometimes I think she doesn't even care about me." Tears began to well in her large blue eyes. The light from the TV only made it look worse. "And I can't explain it to Daddy because he just doesn't get it."

"Oh, Lyss don't say that." I gently touched her shoulder. "I'm sure she cares about you. How could she not? You're her daughter."

"I know." She sniffled. "But sometimes she's just so…" Small hiccupy sobs cut her off.

"Hey, don't cry." I quickly grabbed a few tissues from the box on the table next to the couch. "No tears on my watch." I held her cheek as I wiped the tears from her eyes.

"O-o-okay." She struggled to steady her breathing.

I glanced around to see if Damon had chosen to make an appearance and save me from the situation at hand. He hadn't.

"Let me tell you something," I handed her another tissue. "Do you want to hear it?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"Somebody that I used to know once gave me a very interesting piece of advice." I began. "Never let 'em see you cry." I tapped the bottom of her chin, pulling it up so she could face me straight on. "No matter how bad things get, even if you want to scream with rage and sob with all your might, don't you ever let _anything_ break you down in public. If you take a deep breath, go home, and still want to cry, then so be it. And I'll be here for you if you need to talk about it, or…" I paused to sort of laugh to myself. "Sing about it. Okay?"

She nodded slowly, her breath still coming in short hiccups.

"I know how…_different_ or just plain weird…or awkward it can be to grow up with just your dad." My own emotions were starting to build up in my chest and I began to fear that I too would break down. "But trust me; he'll listen if you need him to. I know he can be busy sometimes, but he'll never be too busy for you. And sure, he's weird and he can be a complete dork sometimes, but he loves you. Don't ever doubt that. No matter what, he'll always be there for you."

There was a lump rising in my throat that I was struggling to choke down. If I cried now, my whole pep talk will have been for naught.

"What about you?" Her small voice distracted me. "I can go to you, right?" She leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Sure. I'm here if you need me." I nodded.

"Okay." She burrowed into my side for the rest of the movie.

When it was over, she was fast asleep. I contemplated waking her, when Damon appeared once more from the hallway.

"I don't want to wake her up, but…" I gestured to Alyssa's curled up form.

He nodded. "I've got her." He gently lifted her into his arms and began to head down the hallway. "Will you bring her bag and shoes?" He called back to me.

I hurriedly grabbed her backpack and flip flops and ran after him down the hall. We went up a flight of stairs and then down another hall before he led me into the second door to the right.

I pulled the comforter and sheet down so that he could put her in bed. As he tucked her in, I set her shoes on the rug next to her bed and slung her backpack over the chair of her desk.

An overwhelming sense of nostalgia hit me as I watched him press a kiss to the crown of her head and pull up the covers to her chin. I had to step out into the hall to avoid choking.

He followed closely, shutting off the lights and closing the door behind him.

"I-I should go." I couldn't make eye contact. I turned to go back towards the stairs, but he stopped me.

"Wait," His fingers brushed my arm. I winced away.

I looked at him, waiting.

"Thank you." He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. "For…uhm, talking to her. It's hard for her…having Rose away all the time."

I nodded. "No problem."

"I don't think I could have done a better job myself. It's like you took the words right out of my mouth." He was smirking now. I grimaced. Now he was just toying with me.

"I'm gonna go now." I shot him a look before turning back to the stairs.

"It still stands for you too, you know." He said quietly, making me pause before stepping onto the second stair.

I couldn't bear to look at him. I pressed my lips together into a tight line in an attempt to keep back any sound. I barely managed a small, curt nod before hurrying down the stairs.

When I reached the ground floor, I grabbed my purse and nearly ran to the door. I had just made it outside, pulling the door closed behind me as I began to sob, thick tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Why me?" I half yelled to the sky, to some higher being, to anyone who would listen.

Why me?

**Stefan's POV**

I pulled into the garage, carefully parking my car in the box filled structure. As I shut the garage door behind me, I realized that I had forgotten my key to the back door.

"Great." I muttered and began to walk around to the front of the house.

As I rounded the corner of the porch, I saw a very familiar person leaning against the door frame, madly wiping tears from her eyes. From where I stood, just behind the first pillar of the porch, I could see her tears streaming down her cheeks, more still welling in her eyes.

What had happened? I should have stayed.

"Sara?" I didn't speak until I had reached the foot of the stairs to the porch.

Her head snapped up and her eyes widened in surprise.

"S-Stefan," She stuttered.

"Are you okay?" I approached her worriedly. I didn't want to even begin to think about what had led up to this.

"I'm fine." She snapped quickly, taking a step away from me.

I held up my hands to show her that I meant no harm.

"Sorry," She wiped at her eyes once more. "I didn't mean to snap. Sorry."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. I wasn't sure if she was still mad at me from the other day.

"I'm also sorry for yelling at you the other day and storming out. That wasn't very nice of me." She added, staring at her feet.

"No, it's my fault. I pushed you too much." I shook my head.

She looked so fragile just standing there alone. I wanted to prod her for more, but I feared having her shut down again.

She didn't say anything and she wouldn't look at me. A gust of wind swept by and she shivered a little.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I tried.

"Not right now." She shook her head.

We stood in silence for a few moments before she asked, "So, uhm, how was your date?"

Oh god. How was I supposed to answer that? It hadn't been a _complete_ failure. Katherine was, she had always been, interesting to say the least.

But she just wasn't, for lack of a better word, Sara.

"It was fine." I gave a neutral answer.

She nodded. "That's…good."

I nodded back, unsure of what else to say.

"Can we just be friends?" She asked suddenly. She actually made eye contact now. Her eyes were pleading.

"Sure." I gave a short nod. "If that's what you'd like, sure."

"Okay." She chewed on her bottom lip. Good to see that she still had the same nervous habit from our childhood.

I couldn't help myself. She needed it so much; I could just feel it, so I took one stride towards her and wrapped her into my arms.

We didn't speak for a long time, we just stood there.

"I'm sorry." Was all I could think to say.

"Are you happy?" She answered, her voice quiet, muffled by my arm.

_Was_ I happy? Even I didn't know the answer to that. Happy with what, about what?

"Sure, I suppose so." I replied, though every fiber of my being screamed that I hadn't been truly happy in a long time.

I felt her move against me, sighing before pulling away.

"Alright," She nodded to me. She looked so tired, so empty, broken.

As she turned to leave, I reached out to grab her hand.

"Are _you_ happy?" I countered.

"Of course." She nodded, but avoided my eyes. "I have everything that I ever wanted. How could I not be?"

I squeezed her hand pleadingly, hoping that she would stop, hoping that she would stay. She didn't.

I couldn't bring myself to move from my spot, even long after she had driven off down the street.

What had caused her to break down so much? I was deeply regretting not staying and preventing whatever it was that had occurred in my absence.

A surge of anger passed through me. Damon was going to hear it from me now.

Sure, her leaving had destroyed her inside just as much as it had destroyed my brother. But no one ever stopped to think if anyone else had gotten hurt.

I was still furious with Damon for taking her away from me, for pushing her away, for letting her go so easily.

I stormed into the house, only to find Damon sitting in the living room, a tumbler of scotch in his hand.

"Oh, you're back early." He took a sip. "How'd it go?"

"What did you do?" I countered tersely. "What did you do to her?"

"What are you talking about?" He raised his eyebrows.

"What did you say to her?" I wasn't going to buy into his mind games. Not this time. "Don't you see how easily you can break her down? You can't just treat her like some plaything."

**Sara's POV**

As I pulled into my parking spot Griffin's building, I had to pause to pull my thoughts together after shutting off the engine.

I could still feel his arms around me, so strong and safe. The sound of his heartbeat still echoed in my ears, steady and constant, perfectly in beat with my own. I remembered his distinct scent of soap and cologne, just enough to make me want to swoon.

How was it that he had such a strong effect on me? Why was it that no matter what I did, I couldn't bring myself to let him go?

I couldn't ruin this for him. He was happy, right? He was happy with _her_. He could be happy with her. I couldn't ruin this for him.

But I just couldn't let this happen.

I was so confused. I loved Griffin, of course I did. He was my best friend. I would give anything for him. But with Stefan it was so different. It could be so easy, so effortless and simple. I would travel to the ends of the earth if it meant that I could be with him.

And yet, here I was, engaged to my best friend, the man that I love. But when I'm here, rediscovering how much I once adored this beautiful boy with the honest green eyes, I begin to question everything.

How different my life could be if I had just kept my mouth shut. If could just take things back, change history.

I went up to Griffin's apartment on autopilot. When I entered the apartment, it was dark and I tossed my purse onto the couch.

I tried to be as quiet as possible as I walked into the bedroom and blindly changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top.

I was suddenly feeling exhausted as I climbed into the bed beside him.

"Hi," He pulled me into his arms.

I closed my eyes and found that if I concentrated hard enough, this boyish redhead next to me could transform into a certain charming, dark haired man.

"Hey," I whispered.

He didn't say much else as he returned to his previous activity of trailing his lips down my neck.

It was surprisingly easy to transform him in my mind. As long as I didn't have to open my eyes, I could be with the one that I truly wanted.

When all was said and done, and he held me in his arms, I returned to the real world. Imagine my disappointment when I found that the man I was sleeping with was the polar opposite of the one that I had fantasized about.

"Love you," He mumbled, half way asleep.

I didn't bother with a reply, knowing that he wouldn't hear it anyway. Once I was sure that he was asleep, I moved over to the far side of the bed, pulling the sheet tightly around me.

"I love you, Stefan." I whispered quietly into the darkness.

I lay there alone for a long time. The only sound was that of Griffin's steady, shallow breathing. And I cried.

Just as I had begun to doze off, the light from my phone woke me. I had a text message.

_Late night drive?_

I sat up. And there it was, my chance for an escape, even if it was just for a short time.

I replied with the address and told him that I'd be outside. I hurriedly got dressed, throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I stealthily crept out of the apartment and down to the front of the building.

He arrived right on time, in his little red sports car. I didn't expect him to exit the car to open and close my door, but he did anyway.

He only parked when we hit the beach. The moon shone over the inky, glistening water and the only sound was that of the waves crashing on the deserted shore.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" He said finally, breaking the silence.

So I told him everything; how I was worried about Alyssa, how Damon had thrown me for a curve, how Griffin was difficult, how I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing, how everything was slowly falling apart.

"He shouldn't treat you like that." He spoke after I had finished. "You deserve better than that."

Was he referring to Damon or Griffin? I probably deserved it from Damon. I didn't know what to do about Griffin. Everything was caving in on me and all I wanted was for it to go away.

But at that very moment, none of it mattered. I slid across the seat to sit closer to him, and his arm wrapped around my shoulder to pull me tightly to his chest. It was all so easy, so right. Everything was just fine, even if it was just for a few minutes, for just one night. There was nothing to stop us here, while we both escaped from our horribly messed up lives.

**A/N: **A bit dramatic, yes? But all very necessary. Can't wait until you guys get to see where all of this is going! Your feedback on any aspect of the story is greatly encouraged.

Also, if you've made it this far with me, I thought that I would include a list of characters with their actor casting. I've finally completed my fantasy casting, so why not share it with all of you? Feel free to google these people and share your thoughts.

All of the Vampire Diaries characters stay as is. The castings are only for my own characters.

Sara Rachel Salvatore-Vallejo – Crystal Reed

Alyssa Salvatore – Sierra McCormick

Alonso Vallejo – Alejandro de la Madrid

Maria Adellardo Vallejo – Livia Brito

Griffin Roberts – Brando Eaton

More to come soon! Remember, reviews are love and equal a faster update.


	10. Your Life and Mine  Part II

Still Around

Chapter 10: Your Life and Mine — Part 2

**A/N:** For everyone who helps me put together any and all aspects of this story. I am forever in debt.

Also, I'm going to throw out a little freebie here! Reviewer number **30** gets to have a special guest role in an upcoming chapter, so please, please, PLEASE review!

_I can see from across the room, there's a tear in the storied eye.  
>I was leavin' but I'm coming back, since your heart's in beat with mine.<br>That mark didn't do you right, when you left in your best friend's ride,  
>With the face of an angel, girl, you deserve to be treated more than right.<em>

_. . ._

'_Cause it's alright, there's nothing to stop us.  
>If it feels right, then everything's fine for just one night.<br>Then you'll go back to your life, and I'll go back to mine._

_-Your Life and Mine lyrics by Just Surrender_

**Stefan's POV**

It might have been the first time that she snuck out to see me, but it definitely wouldn't be the last. Our secret outings continued frequently in the following weeks. We didn't always just go for a drive, sometimes we would find a quiet corner at our new favorite coffee shop, or even pay a visit to a club. But tonight was certainly the first time that I was attempting to sneak her into my room.

"Why do I feel like we're gonna get caught?" She giggled as I led her through the back of the house.

"Shh." I whispered, my finger in front of my lips. "You better not jinx it."

"I'm not the one with the heavy steps." She pointed out.

I grimaced as I stepped on yet another creaky floorboard. "Shut up."

"Alyssa," I heard Damon call up the stairs. I quickly pushed Sara onto the wall in the shadows, just in case he saw.

"They're home?" She hissed, her eyes wide with worry. "I thought you said they wouldn't be home."

"They're not _supposed_ to be home." I muttered. I took her quickly past the hallway and up the back stairs. "My room is on the other side of the house. Theoretically, they shouldn't hear anything."

_Theoretically_.

"You've been here how long and you still haven't unpacked everything?" She pointed at the last few boxes that remained in the corner of the hallway.

"Apparently five months is too short of a time to get everything out of boxes." I commented. I had stopped noticing the boxes a while ago. "And here we are." I gestured toward the door at the end of the hall.

She looked at me, as if asking for permission to open the door. I turned the knob and pushed open the door to let her in.

She took a step into the dark room, as I flipped on the light. When she didn't say anything, I began to worry. But then, I saw the smile on her angelic face.

"It's so you." She grinned widely and then moved to approach the bookcase against the far wall.

I hung my jacket in the closet as she continued to explore. "I love this book!" I poked my head out of the closet. She held my battered copy of _Catcher in the Rye_ in her hand. "And this one too!" She pulled _To Kill a Mockingbird_ from the shelf. "You have good taste in literature."

"Thank you." I gave her a half smile.

She then began to analyze the rest of the room before finally coming to rest, perching herself on the edge of my bed. "I approve." She nodded.

"Good. I was so worried that you wouldn't approve." I joked as I sat beside her.

She cocked an eyebrow at me and I cupped her face in my hand. Before long we were well into a full on make-out session.

**Earlier that day—Sara's POV**

"Come on," Griffin nudged my arm. "I owe you. Let's go."

I hesitated for a second. He had suggested that we go on a "date." His hot and cold behavior had continued for another two weeks and it was absolutely infuriating.

"You don't owe me anything, Griff." I shook my head, shooting down his offer and returning to that month's issue of Vogue.

"Sure I do." He slid across the couch to wrap his arms around me. "I've been kind of an ass lately. I'm sorry; let me make it up to you."

"Good. You can admit it to yourself." I didn't look up.

"Alright, alright!" He held his hands up in surrender. "I've been a major ass; I admit it. I'm sorry, okay?"

When I ignored him, he began to squeeze me tighter. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't ignore me. You know I need lots of attention." He buried his face into my neck.

"_Ay, como hodes_." I pushed him away. "Alright, I forgive you." He began to come right back at me, but I stopped him. "For now." I pointed my finger at his nose in warning.

"Where do you want to go?" He caressed my cheek with his thumb.

"I don't care." I set aside the magazine with a shrug. "You pick."

Just as I replied however, my phone began to ring. It was my father.

"Hi _papi_," I answered. Griffin began to make googly eyes and funny faces at me in an attempt to make me laugh. I shoved him away playfully.

"_Hola reina_," He greeted me. "Are you busy right now?"

"No, I'm not." I shook my head, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't see me. "_Que paso_?"

"Your mom and I are swamped with things to do for the new restaurant; I was hoping that you could go down to _Mundial_ today and see how the visiting chef is holding up. I'd go over there myself but I have some business calls to make for this one." I could hear him rustling around with paperwork most likely on his desk.

"Sure, Daddy." I agreed to help. "No problem. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"Just tell him that I'll be in sometime this week to visit him personally. I'm just a little short handed right now with the new restaurant and the show and things. He'll understand. Oh, and he's from Brazil, so pay close attention. I know you have trouble with different accents." He teased me.

"It was one time!" I shot back. "But alright. _Es todo?_"

"Yeah, that's it." There was a crashing sound in the background. "I really should leave this all to your mother. She's better at it than I am. Okay, I'll let you go. _Gracias mami_, love you."

"Love you, too. Bye, Daddy." I hung up.

"So what's the plan?" Griffin stretched on the couch.

"Apparently we'll be dining at _Mundial_ tonight." I got up from my seat beside him. "He wants me to go see how the visiting chef is doing."

"Alright, I'm down for some steak." He nodded, also standing up. "Let's go."

"Uh-uh." I stopped him. "Dressed like _this_. I don't think so." I gestured to our more than casual attire of yoga pants and a tank top and adidas sweats and t-shirt.

"Eh, dress codes are for everyone else." He shrugged. "You're practically the owner; they won't say anything to us."

"I'm not going to meet the head chef in yoga pants, Griff." I rolled my eyes as I turned and headed for the bathroom.

"Alright, alright, I'll dress a bit more decently." He ran after me into the bathroom.

I turned on the water in the shower and hung a towel on the warming rack.

"Care for some company?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me. I pursed my lips in thought for just a moment.

Our intimate life had been…strange lately. I could honestly say that even _I _was distant sometimes.

"Sure," I nodded finally. "Why not?"

After the shower, if that's what you want to call it, I slipped on a grey, one strap dress with a ruffled skirt. I was going through the jewelry box that I kept at Griffin's in search of some sort of a statement piece. When I didn't find anything to my liking, I settled on a pair of simple solitaire stud earrings. I closed the little drawers in frustration and began to put on the earrings.

"Still shoe-less, I see." I met Griffin's gaze in the mirror. I glanced down at my bare feet.

"I'll grab a pair of shoes right now." I said as I put the backing of my second earring on.

"Why don't you try these on for size?" He pulled a tan shoe box out from behind his back.

I didn't even have to look at the label on the lid to know exactly what kind of shoes they were.

"Griff!" I half shrieked as I took the box from him. "You didn't."

"Open it; see if I picked the right ones." He gave me a smile.

I lifted the lid to find a beautiful pair of light pink Louboutin peep-toe pumps with a rhinestone studded light grey heel in the red bag. I was positive that I was drooling as I slipped one onto my right foot. It fit like a glove. He took the other shoe and put it on my other foot.

"Did I pick the right ones?" His blue eyes met mine earnestly.

"They're perfect, Griffy." I kissed him. "Thank you."

"I know that they don't fully make up for my ass-hole behavior, but I was hoping they'd make up for something."

"You are ninety percent forgiven." I grinned at him.

"It's always that tricky ten percent." He winked at me before pulling me up from the bed to stand with him.

"Indeed." I giggled as we Eskimo kissed.

"Perhaps _this_," He presented me with a square blue box, a white bow tied around it. "Will do the trick?"

"More presents?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm starting to think that you might be in more trouble than I previously thought."

I untied the bow and removed the top from the _Tiffany & Co._ box to find a lovely pair of pearl and diamond earrings.

"My, my, Griffy," I shook my head in amusement. "You really do spoil me a bit too much sometimes."

"Last time I checked, it was okay to spoil my girl." He nuzzled my neck.

"Only if it's going to continue."

"Ah, you never know." He laughed. "I might still have a few other tricks up my sleeve."

We finished dressing and made the drive into Santa Monica. When we arrived at _Mundial_, memories of its opening flooded into my mind.

It was the first restaurant opening of my father's that I had witnessed. I was fourteen at the time, and it had all been so surreal. All of these adults whose names I didn't know, faces I didn't recognize kept telling me that I would have to run it all one day. In all honesty, the thought of it completely terrified me. Now that I was older, I understood how everything worked, that I really _would_ take it all over one day. I no longer feared it, though it was all still very intimidating. The feeling of power and ownership, however, I would never tire of.

"M-m-miss Vallejo," Jacque, the maître de whose real name was just 'Jack,' greeted me nervously. "What are you doing here? N-n-not that you're not welcome here, of course not; this is _your_ restaurant after all." He tugged at his tie as though it had suddenly become far too tight.

"Hello, _Jacque_," I sighed, already beginning to feel exasperated by the frantic man. "Nice to see you again, a table for two, yes?"

"Y-yes, Miss Vallejo. I'll see to it right away." He bowed at me as though I was royalty. "B-but I warn you, and please forgive me, this _is_ our busiest time of the day." He ran around in a slight state of panic, nearly tripping over a large potted plant near the entrance to the dining area.

"M-mr. Roberts," He excused himself as he ran past Griffin. "My apologies."

"This guy really needs to lay off the caffeine." Griffin chuckled quietly.

"He might have a heart attack if I demand a table immediately." I nodded in agreement.

Griffin wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me to one of the plush black couches in the waiting area. The sleek white, black, and gold décor of the foyer never failed to make me feel refreshed and put me in a partying mood. No sooner had I settled into Griffin's arms, when I had to pull away to deal with Jacque who once more came stumbling our way. This time he had a tray with two wine glasses that I feared he would spill.

"My sincerest apologies, M-m-miss Vallejo, but we are completely full right now. I understand that it is unacceptable to ask of the owner's family to wait, but my hands are completely tied. I will put you in as soon as a table clears. P-please accept these glasses of wine from…" I cut him off with my hand and then Griffin took the glasses from the tray.

"It's fine Jacque," I kept my hand up to keep him quiet. "We can wait. We didn't have a reservation; it isn't fair to those who _did_ make one." I made a point of looking at the people who had just entered. "Please take them first."

"B-but," He stuttered out before I silenced him with a glare. "Y-yes, M-miss Vallejo."

"He is the one downside to coming here." I sighed as I took a sip from the glass that Griffin offered me. "Mmm, French?"

He took another sip, before agreeing with me. "Yeah, definitely French."

A few more people entered and others left in the following thirty minutes. When Jacque was busy handling something in the kitchen, I stepped forward to handle a few groups that had entered.

"Hello," I greeted them with a smile. "Welcome to _Mundial_, your name please?"

There were mostly parties of twos with reservations.

"You make a very sexy maître de," Griffin wrapped his arms around me as I leaned against the podium.

"I should tell Daddy to hire me instead." I laughed. "I'll quit my day job, how does that sound?"

We laughed to each other as a few other groups came in. I was distractedly looking at the list, when…

"Sara?" His voice turned my blood ice cold and then blazing hot. I looked up to find Stefan with his arm around a very pretty girl in an eggplant colored bandage dress that hugged every curve like a second skin.

"S-stefan?" It was my turn to stutter now.

"Oh, you have a friend that works here?" The woman on his arm turned to look right at me. She was stunning and I could feel my heart sinking. "Good, maybe she can get us in without reservations?"

"I…" I couldn't even form a full sentence.

"Goodness!" Jacque shrieked as he approached the podium. "Miss Vallejo most certainly does_ not_ work here; she has neither need nor _reason_ to work here when her father owns this restaurant." Jacque replied indignantly for me. For once, I actually liked him. "_Nor,_" –he continued—"can she get you in without reservations. You will have to wait like everyone else."

She blinked and raised her eyebrows in surprise at him.

"Miss Vallejo, Mr. Roberts, your table is ready." He turned his nose up and then proceeded to attempt to lead us to our table.

"Jacque," Griffin called after him. "Actually, why don't we make that a table for four, if that's alright with you two," He gestured to Stefan and the woman.

She sniffed, "We're actually waiting on a friend, this is a business dinner."

"Table for five?" He offered once more.

I tried my best to smile on the outside, but on the inside I was screaming. What was he doing?

"Why not?" Stefan shrugged slightly dejectedly. "It's way faster than waiting for own table.

She let out a small huff. "Griffin Roberts," Griffin offered her his hand. At this, her eyebrows perked up once more.

"Griffin Roberts, as in _the_ Griffin Roberts, of Columbia Records?" She was suddenly _very _interested.

Griffin grimaced slightly. "I _did_ work with them for a while."

"Katherine Pierce," She took his hand now. "Charmed, I'm sure."

"Indeed." Griffin's eyes flicked over to me for just a split second. I glared daggers at him from behind Stefan.

"Jason will be _very_ intrigued," Katherine smiled as she moved back to Stefan's arm.

"What is it that's going to intrigue me?" A man spoke from behind me.

He wasn't tall per se; maybe about five-ten, with a slightly muscular build, but he had an air of arrogance about him. His dark grey suit and black shirt complimented his carmel complexion well and his smile would be enough to cause thousands of fan girls to throw themselves at his feet. It was his light blue eyes, however, that were his most strikingly handsome feature.

"Jason Knight," He extended his hand to Griffin.

"Griffin Roberts," Griffin introduced himself and I took a step closer to him once more.

"Intriguing indeed." Mr. Knight nodded. "Hello, Stefan, Katherine," He shook hands with Stefan and embraced Katherine, giving her European kisses on her cheeks.

I glared at Griffin, my heart felt as though it would pound right out of my mouth.

"And this _fine_ specimen is?" I could feel his gaze sizing me up. It disgusted me.

I felt Stefan move only very slightly to my left to stand just a little bit more defensively.

"This is my fiancée," Griffin pulled me closer to him.

"A Miss Vallejo, if I'm not mistaken." Griffin had no need to finish. Knight finished for him.

I couldn't look him in the eye as I took his extended hand. I was surprised by his ice cold touch.

"My apologies," He took his hand back. "My hands tend to have poor circulation."

I nodded, not wanting to start a conversation.

"Shall we?" Griffin gestured towards Jacque who smiled nervously.

"I-I'm sorry Miss Vallejo, but the only table that can seat you all right now is that booth in the corner," He waved his arm towards a large booth at the corner opposite of the window.

"That will be just fine, Jacque. Thank you." I didn't have the clarity of mind at the moment to argue for a different table.

"B-but in the _corner_, M-miss Vallejo?" He wrung his hands together, his wiry brown-blonde hair seeming to stand on the edge of his scalp.

"Yes, Jacque, it will have to do." I waved him off.

"Y-yes, Miss Vallejo." He nodded obediently. "I forgot to mention, that you look particularly stunning tonight, Miss Vallejo."

"Thank you, Jacque, that will be all for now." I took the menus from his hands and shooed him away.

"What are you doing?" I hissed quietly at Griffin through my forced smile.

"I thought you wanted to try to be nicer to the Salvatores." He whispered back.

"Not _that_ nice." I grumbled.

"He's right you know," Knight commented as Katherine slid into the booth, followed by Stefan. "You look even more beautiful than you do on stage."

I didn't need his flattery. There was something sketchy about this man, and I most certainly didn't like it.

"I would absolutely _die_ for your shoes," Katherine whispered to me as I moved across the booth to sit beside her.

"Oh?" I looked down at my feet, momentarily forgetting which shoes I was wearing. "Thank you."

Okay, what was it with these people and all of their compliments. I felt as though they were fishing for something, I just wasn't sure what it was yet.

A server came by promptly and took our orders. I was grateful when he returned with the glass of champagne that I had ordered.

Knight might have shown up for a business meeting with Stefan and Katherine, but he had certainly directed his attention at Griffin. As Knight and Griffin conversed about business, the industry, and lord knows what else, and Katherine tapped away on her blackberry, Stefan caught my eye. He gave me a 'what are you gonna do?' look. I gave him a slight shrug as I took another sip of champagne.

When the soup course arrived, their chatter stopped momentarily.

"Mmm," Knight took in another spoonful of the chicken tortilla soup. "Send my compliments to your Father. This is just so easy on the palate."

"Hmm," I nodded, not wanting to engage in a conversation.

"Now tell me, how is it that he did it?" He continued anyway.

"Perseverance." I hoped that if I replied in one word, he would stop.

"But however did he manage to do it, build such an empire." He was going to continue, fine. "I've been trying to build up my own label and there are times when I just want to give up. It's successes like these that keep me on track."

"It was difficult, yes. But he never gives up, to this day, he never gives up."

"Ah yes, that is in your nature, isn't it? The whole, _si se puede _deal." His tone had just the slightest hint of a challenge.

"I'm sorry?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "I don't understand."

"Well it must have been very difficult to start it all from the ground up. He must have had some sort of _help_ on the side, if you know what I mean. How many success stories, like this one, do you hear about someone of your background that are entirely honest? How many actually _achieve_ the American dream?" There was a definite challenge in his tone now.

My spoon clattered onto the plate and my head snapped up to look him straight in the eye.

"_Excuse me_?" I locked eyes with him.

"I-I think what he's trying to say, love," Griffin tried to cut in.

"Oh, I know exactly what trying to say." I silenced Griffin. "He's implying that because my family is of Mexican-American heritage, my father wasn't _entirely_ able to create all of this on his own. He is _implying_ that my father used less than moral practices to get here. He is _insinuating_ that my parents are, for lack of a better word, illegal." The burning rage of a thousand suns ran through my blood. "Aren't you, Mr. Knight?" I spat.

"S-Sara," Stefan's voice quietly tried to calm.

"For your information, _Mr. Kight_," I continued. "My parents are _citizens _of the United States, college _educated_, and _contrary_ to your belief, are not involved in _any_ illegal practices. So sorry to have disappointed you."

No one at the table said a word and they avoided making eye contact. Knight looked away, a smirk on his face. My hands itched to slap it right off of his face.

I pushed Griffin out of the booth, and a look of terror crossed Knight's face for just a second.

"Good, fear me." I smirked now. "Because I'm done with you." With that I marched across the room, straight to the window-side bar.

The bar tender raised his eye brows at me, but I didn't care how many people had heard what happened at the table.

"Get me something," I waved my hand, signaling him to get me a drink. "Anything, I don't care what it is."

He stared at me for another second, whether in fear or awe, I didn't know, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

"_Now!_" I snapped impatiently.

He nodded and hurried began to mix things together. I watched from a barstool as Knight made a hasty getaway, but not before leaving my fiancée with his business card. I obviously hadn't scared him off enough.

When I returned to the table, glass in hand, no one said a word. The next course was pleasantly uneventful, aside from the occasional comment on the food.

The sound of Griffin's cell going off interrupted the quiet. He stepped out to take the call, leaving me with Stefan and Katherine.

"The quail is very delicate," She took small bites of the bird.

"Mine was a little gamey for my taste." I pushed my bird around with my fork.

"Venison is good." Stefan added.

"Sorry, love," Griffin reappeared. "I know tonight was supposed to be kind of special, but I _really_ have to go. There's been some sort of system crash and they need me." He gave me one of his puppy looks. "I'm _so_ sorry. I can leave you the car, and I'll take a cab."

"No, no, you take the car. I can take a cab." I shook my head. I was slightly disappointed.

"Are you sure?" He looked a little worried.

"Yeah, it's fine, don't worry about it." I continued to shake my head.

"Alright, I'm sorry, love. I'll make it up to you; I promise." He gave a quick peck on the lips, and said his goodbye with apologies to Stefan and Katherine before leaving.

And now there were three. I can't say that it hurt so much to see him physically leave as it did to have him bail on me once more. I didn't know how much longer I would willingly be able to put up with it. I could only handle so much of his abandonment and absence before I would really start to crack.

I was thankful for the support that Stefan had provided me in the past few weeks. He was my rock, my savior. It was indescribably strange and difficult to have to watch him with another woman, even if he had made it clear to me that he had no plans to continue their relationship romantically. _She_ apparently had other plans.

The next course was awkward, to say the least. I was most definitely a third wheel as Katherine snuggled up to Stefan.

I hoped for a second that if I shut my eyes, she would stop. She didn't. She only became more affectionate, stroking his cheek, giggling giddily, and running her hand up and down his arm.

I had to order another glass of champagne to distract myself. I quickly downed that one, and snapped my fingers for another one.

"Excuse me," I snapped at the waiter and held up my glass which was promptly replaced with another one.

My silent pleas for it to end must have been heard, when her phone rang. Stefan let her out so that she could take the call.

We were completely silent in her absence, our eye contact creating a form of communication.

"Well forgive me for following the trend, but I _too_ must leave. My presence is required immediately in Hong Kong, so I have to go catch the next flight." Katherine smiled apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Stefan. We'll just have to reschedule."

"Don't worry about it." Stefan nodded.

"I really _am_ sorry." She pouted at him. "Sorry, hon." She then proceeded to pull him into a _very_ long kiss.

I grimaced and began to chug down my third glass of champagne while trying to avoid looking at them.

"It was _so _nice meeting you." She smiled at me before leaving. There was something behind her smile, but I didn't have time to study it before she was gone.

"How was that?" I looked directly at Stefan.

He clucked his tongue. "It was…weird."

"Good." I put down the glass of champagne and slid over to sit right beside him.

"Well it only took us a little under an hour and a half to get rid of all of them." He pulled me closer with his arm.

"Mmm, alone at last." I snuggled into his chest.

"Can we just skip straight to dessert?" He pressed a kiss to my hairline.

"I think," I sat up, "that can be arranged." I waved the waiter over to tell him that we would forego the remaining courses and wished to skip to dessert.

"This is delicious." Stefan took another forkful of the rich chocolate cake.

"Right?" I agreed. "Whenever Dad makes it, it lasts less than a day in our house. It's completely irresistible."

"Your dad actually cooks all this stuff at home?" He was surprised.

"Not all of it," I shook my head. "Some of the dishes here were created specifically for the restaurant. But some of them he does make at home."

"The venison?" He tried.

"Eh, not really. That's just for here. But the pasta is actually a seasonal dish, prepared by the visiting chef." I informed him.

There was soon nothing but crumbs on the plate that had once held our shared piece of chocolate cake.

"Perfect combination." He commented as he swirled his glass of dessert wine in his hand.

"We have to go give our compliments to the chef." I began to pull him out of the booth with me.

"What?" He squawked. "Are you sure?"

"Just kidding," I giggled. "We don't _have to_, but Daddy does want me to check on the visiting chef, so I guess _I_ have to."

He looked at me with his perfect grey-green eyes in a way that I hadn't experienced before.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He tried to hold back a smile.

"Tell me." I begged him, toying with his fingers in my hand.

"It's just, the idea of _you_ ever having to run all of this is…amusing." He laughed.

"Oh? Is it now?" I raised a single eyebrow. "Well, I'll show _you_, Mr. Salvatore." I pulled him with me to the kitchen to greet the chef.

After our visit to the kitchen, we waited for the valet to bring up his car. When we were inside, he turned to look at me.

"Where to?" He asked, his posture relaxed against the seat.

Memories of our previous activities in the car came back to me. Sports cars were most _definitely_ not good for making out in.

"I don't care." I replied nonchalant.

He leaned across the seat to kiss me, his lips soft and gentle, yet impatient.

"Would you like to come to the house?" He pulled away to make his offer.

"Sure." I pulled him right back.

It was fun to have him sneak me into the house through the back so that Damon wouldn't see, despite the fact that he and Alyssa were supposed to be out of the house.

I panicked when I heard Damon call Alyssa, but we weren't found out. I didn't feel completely safe until we reached his room. I'd had to follow him through halls with still unpacked boxes all the way to the other wing of the house to reach it.

And it was just so…_him_. From the books that were on his shelves down to the dark blue shade on the walls, it all screamed Stefan. I loved it.

We wasted no time in getting down to, er, business. He was such a great kisser. I took my time in unbuttoning his shirt. When I reached the last button, I had to pause to collect my thoughts.

It was suddenly very apparent that we were _not_ the same people from over a decade ago. Long gone was that innocent boy, replaced by this incredible _man_.

"Wow," I breathed. Sure, I'd seen well built men. Griffin wasn't too shabby himself, but I wasn't prepared for _this_. He was _very_ well built, muscles defined and abs chiseled. It was perfection at its finest.

His fingers found the zipper on the side of my dress and nimbly pulled it downward. Soon my dress joined his shirt and later his pants.

"Are we…?" I couldn't finish my sentences; he cut me off with my own lips.

"Your choice." He barely paused.

Did I want to? Hell yes. Should I? Probably not.

He momentarily distracted me as his long fingers ran through my now completely undone hair.

How I desperately wanted him, but somehow, at that point in time, all I could think of was Griffin. How completely devastated he would be if he found out.

"Wait!" I pushed Stefan away.

He was startled, jumping away immediately. "What's wrong?"

"I-I can't." I said quietly. "I don't think we should…y'know. I'm…still engaged."

"Okay…" He managed to reply. The hurt in his eyes was unbearable.

I moved to burrow into his side. "I just don't think it's appropriate…"

"None of this is _appropriate_."

"Just…" I didn't know what to say or how to say it. "Not until…I break off the engagement."

I had never said the words out loud before now. They were strangely liberating. Griffin and I were getting farther and farther apart. He just wasn't what I needed anymore. He most certainly wasn't what I wanted.

But he was my best friend. And I still loved him, too.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. Whether it was to Stefan or to Griffin, I couldn't decipher.

"You're actually going to break off your engagement?" He was surprised.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm willing to do it…for us."

He pulled me closer to him, his arms providing a sense of security around me. We didn't say much else, and I barely recall drifting off.

When I awoke, early morning sunlight was streaming through the curtains and Stefan was still fast asleep. At some point during the night he had moved me to cover me with the sheets and comforter. I pulled the blanket tighter around me as I burrowed into the covers. They smelled distinctly of Stefan, a mix of his cologne and soap. I turned so that I could watch him sleep.

"Good morning, beautiful." His voice was still thick from sleep.

"You're supposed to be asleep." I half laughed. What a faker.

"I've been awake for awhile now." He didn't open his eyes, his left arm draped across his forehead.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I rolled into his side and laid my head on his chest.

"Because you're cute when you sleep." He pressed a kiss to my forehead and put his arm around me.

We lay just like that for a few minutes before being thoroughly awoken.

"Uncle Stefan!" Alyssa's voice carried in from down the hall.

At first I thought it was in my head. He must've not been paying attention.

"Uncle Stefan!" She called again.

This time, we both heard it loud and clear. We jumped apart in a panic.

"Crap." I muttered as we scrambled around trying to figure out what to do.

"Closet," He pointed. I scampered into the closet, throwing him a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He hurriedly pulled them on, the shirt backwards and inside out.

I didn't have time to tell him to fix his shirt…or to grab my left shoe that I had forgotten to grab before hiding in the closet.

"What's up, Lyss?" I watched through the crack in the door as Stefan leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Daddy said if you don't come down to breakfast in the next five minutes, he's going to eat your food." She informed him.

"Uhh…" Stefan glanced over to the closet. "Tell him that's okay. I have other plans."

"Alrighty, your loss." She shrugged and bounced back down the hall, her blonde pigtails flying behind her.

He closed the door and motioned for me to come out quietly.

"Do you think she suspected anything?" I whispered for fear of being heard.

"Nah," He shook his head. "She's eleven."

"She's not as innocent as you think she is." I mumbled, stepping into my dress and pulling it up.

"Oh, I know." He made a slightly disturbed face.

He snuck me out and then drove me back to my apartment, where I insisted that he come up for breakfast.

"I really need to move out." He stood in the middle of my living room, taking it all in.

"That would be a _big_ help." I agreed as I set two plates with breakfast burritos on the table.

"Burritos!" He sat in the chair by the window.

"I know, burritos. How very Mexican of me." I snorted to myself.

"I just remembered! I wanted to show you these!" He pulled out his phone from his pocket.

I sat down across from him and took a bite of my burrito.

He handed me his phone with a picture on the screen, a very old picture.

"Oh my god!" I almost choked. "How did you…" I couldn't finish because I started to laugh.

"I found these about a year ago in the attic. I scanned them to make sure they wouldn't get lost or anything." He grinned, obviously enjoying my amusement. "Scroll through, there's more."

There were pictures of us as kids in his parents' yard, at various school events. Some of which were quite hilarious, particularly one of his face as the scoop of ice cream fell from his cone at Coney Island.

"How old were we? Like five?" I showed him that one.

"Eh...I don't know. All that is kind of hazy now." He shrugged.

"And that, my friend, is a sign that we are aging." I laughed.

"Oh god, Alyssa makes me feel so old sometimes." He shook his head before taking another bite.

"Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes.

I came across another picture from a party some time in middle school. "Oh….I remember _this_. I remember this _really_ well." I showed it to him.

"Cassie Serbia's birthday party." He shook his head. "Good times."

"Aww, I miss Cassie. Whatever happened to her?" I asked him. She had been one of my best friends.

"I still talk to her sometimes on Facebook. I think she married this much older guy… She's kind of like a trophy wife." He laughed. "It's kinda weird."

I chuckled too. "I can honestly say that it _doesn't_ entirely surprise me."

"She comes to California sometimes, we should go see her next time she's here."

"Yeah, that would be fun." I nodded.

It was so nice, so surreal to be able to just _be_ with Stefan. I never thought that it would happen again. I was willing to drop everything, give up anything just to be with him. It was a dream come true.

If only things were as simple as they appeared to be.

**A/N: **And that's all for now, folks. Please review! Reviews are _greatly_ appreciated! Thanks!

Also, a few more faces to add to characters with additions to the cast list:

Lydia Salvatore (Damon and Stefan's Mother) – Kate Walsh

Zachary Salvatore (Damon and Stefan's Father) – Chris William Martin

Jason Knight – Jesse Williams

**Coming next chapter: **The original family!


	11. When the Sun Shines,We'll Shine Together

Still Around

Chapter 11: When the Sun Shines, We'll Shine Together

**A/N: **Reviewer number **40** gets a special part! Jorge, you cannot madly review just to get a part. You already had one anyway.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own VD, obviously. I also do not own the inspiration for this chapter: Rihanna's _Umbrella_.

_When the sun shines, we'll shine together.  
>Told you, I'd be here forever,<br>Said I'll always be your friend.  
>Took an oath, I'mma stick it out 'til the end.<em>

_Now that it's raining more than ever,  
>Know that we'll still have each other.<br>You can stand under my umbrella._

**Sara's POV**

It had been a week since Griffin had left me abruptly at _Mundial_. Sure, he called a few times to inform me that he was dealing with some business in New York, but he gave me no clues as to when he would return.

I can't say that I was _upset_ that he was gone; I was just a little bit hurt by the fact that he didn't see any issue with just leaving. His brief phone calls, two to be exact, had been quick and to the point. No apologies, no explanations, simply that he was taking care of things.

I couldn't complain much, however. His absence gave me a little more time to spend with the man that I truly desired to be with. Unfortunately, our relationship still needed to be kept private for the sake of my engagement that currently stood in, what I would dare to call, shambles. Still, I missed him sorely.

"Come on," Stefan begged me over a phone conversation. "I'm just sitting here, in my office, bored, and suffering from a _severe_ case of writer's block."

He tried to get me to accept a lunch invitation, but I already had late lunch plans.

"Stef, I would, I _really_ would," I shook my head as though he could see me. "But I already have plans to meet with…someone."

I moved around my apartment as I spoke to him, trying to bring some sort of organization back to my neglected apartment.

"Oh?" He was surprised. I could hear the soft tapping of the keyboard in the background. "With whom, if I may ask?"

I grinned to myself as if I had a juicy secret. "Do you really want to know?" I teased him.

"Yes."

"I've got a meeting with two producers who have agreed to pitch me some new album ideas." I told him excitedly.

"_Really_?" He was surprised now. "That's great! Who are the producers?"

"They're just old family friends; one of the older brothers is friends with my parents, so I guess you can say we're keeping it in the family." I shrugged it off. I doubted that he knew them anyway.

"Anybody I might know?" He prodded once more. I could understand his interest, he was looking to partner with another company, if not start his own later on.

"Ah, the Mikaelson family. I doubt you know them." I shook my head before taking a sip of water from the bottle on my coffee table and then sitting on the couch.

"The Mikaelson family?" His tone changed completely, as if there was something behind it. "Why would you do business with _them_?"

I was puzzled. How was it that he knew them? They were mainly based here, in Los Angeles, not in New York. Any sort of encounter between them and Stefan would had to have occurred within the last few months.

"I told you, they're old family friends. What's wrong with it? You don't know them, do you?" I was becoming more and more perplexed as I tried to find a connection.

"I don't know them _well_. But as far as I know, Damon has some…_history _with them. An old family feud, I suppose you could call it." His voice was tense, as if he didn't want to give away too much.

I knew the Mikaelson's came from old money. _Very_ old money. The Salvatore's fortune was not nearly as old, but they had probably crossed each other throughout history. I could only imagine what had happened to cause such a feud.

"Exactly how old?" I wanted to gage just how long this had been going on.

"Well, originally it began, I'd say sometime during the civil war era." He told me. "But there's been…more recent…brawls, you could say."

Now I was worried. "Exactly, how recent?" I almost didn't want to know.

"Within the last twenty years." He didn't give any details.

The fact that there had been bad blood between the families for such a long time made me a bit apprehensive to tell him any more about the deal. The Mikaelson family had been friends with my own family since long before I was even born. I knew that Elijah Mikaelson, the third brother had gone to school with my parents and had even briefly dated my mother. My interaction with the other two older brothers had been limited; Finnaeus and Niklaus Mikaelson were a bit more reclusive than their younger brother.

"Do you know what happened?" I was hesitant to ask. I wasn't sure that I really wanted to know. I had always regarded the family as a bit cold, for my tastes; nevertheless they understood the meaning of family and never failed to come together when necessary. They had always seemed fairly loyal to each other, and I admired them for it.

"I don't know the full story," He admitted. "I just know that there was an issue regarding lands and slave holding rights between my great-great grandfather and theirs. There _could_ be some stuff further back, I'm not all that sure. And more recently…no never mind." I could almost hear him shaking his head.

"Do you not know what happened or do you just not want to tell me?" I questioned, now honestly curious.

He made a small noise of indecision. "It's not that I don't…" He didn't finish.

"Okay, forget about it then." I brushed it off and made a mental note to ask someone else about it.

"Well now you're mad." He sounded a little frustrated.

"I'm not mad." I shook my head. "A little annoyed that you don't think that you can tell me, but I'm not mad."

He sighed. "Look, just don't…don't get involved. It's gotten ugly before. Just…let the deal go and find another production company."

Was he crazy? The Mikaelsons had one of the most powerful record companies out there. They weren't entirely on the platinum record map yet, but it was certainly headed there within the next few years.

"No…" I began slowly. "Why would I let the deal go?"

"What do you mean '_why'_?" Now _he_ was annoyed. "Does a centuries old family feud mean nothing to you?"

"Well yes, it may be a '_centuries old family feud_' to you, but that's between your family and the Mikaelsons. There is no bad blood between my family and them. I don't see why I should have to worry about it." I took another sip from my water as I waited for him to respond.

"I wasn't aware that you had renounced all of your claims on '_my_' family." His voice was cold now. "I mean, considering that you were a part of _this_ family longer than you've been a Vallejo," He spat. "I guess I just figured that you would continue to observe the same…customs, if you will."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Stefan…don't make this overly complicated. You _know _that I've changed. I thought you were beginning to understand that."

"I know you've changed; I just didn't think that it was for the worse."

"Stefan, don't." I had to stand now and take a calming breath. "I just don't see why I should have to turn away from people that my family has been friends with for years in order to observe some silly feud that the Mikaelsons have going with the family that I want nothing to do with." I shrugged, trying to get him to see my point.

"The family that you want nothing to do with." He didn't pose it as a question.

"Fuck." I muttered under my breath. "Stefan, that's not how I meant it. You know that."

"Oh really? Because that's certainly not the way that it sounded. I don't know if you've realized this yet, but I _am_ a Salvatore, whether you like it or not. If you don't want anything to do with the Salvatore family, then by association, you want nothing to do with me." He was _really_ mad now. I didn't know how I would get myself out of this one.

"No, no," I scrunched my nose in thought. "That's not what I meant, Stefan. I just…you know how I feel about Damon and well…everything else. I want nothing to do with _that. _Not you. You know that, don't you? You don't apply to the general consensus of all things Salvatore."

"No, I _don't_ know that." I heard him pacing the floor of his office now. "And quite frankly, I don't think that you're looking at the matter at hand with fair judgment. You have to understand that I come _with_ the Salvatore family, whether you like it or not. You can't pick and choose what parts of it you want."

"I'm not asking to pick and choose." I argued. "I know what I want, Stefan."

"I really don't think you do." He cut me off. "So give me a call when you figure out what it is that you want. In the meantime, if you want to go make your bad business deals, go right ahead. I won't stop you."

"Stefan!" I was shocked. He didn't let me continue; instead: he hung up.

I let out a growl of frustration. It would be no use to call him back.

"Why must you be so stubborn?" I grumbled at him, but there was no one there to hear it.

I sat once more on the couch, sighing to myself. When I turned to the side table on the left of the loveseat, I saw the framed picture on the tabletop.

Griffin and I were so young then, just fifteen. We stood grinning from ear to ear as we held our giant first place sing-off trophy. We had performed a cover of Rihanna's Umbrella and it was amazing. It was our friendship song, seeing as we had "met" in the rain, it was quite fitting. How talented we were. We still are.

Oh my Griffin. How long had it been since he was _my_ Griffin. It felt like ages. The sound of thunder outside, rain that was strange for so late in September, reminded me of how we met on that fateful day that was so very much like this one.

**Eleven years prior… -**

The dark skies above me were a sure sign of the coming rain. I just hoped that it wouldn't start to pour before I got to the car. I had left my umbrella in the backseat this morning and hoped that it wouldn't rain now that I was almost back to the car. The rain would be particularly unforgiving to my expensive cashmere sweater. I hurried across campus to the back gates where the car would be waiting for me.

Just as I could see the gate in the distance, it began to rain slowly.

"Really? _Now_?" I glared at the sky and began to make a run for it. I reached the car just as it really began to pour.

"Hello Miss Vallejo," James, the driver, greeted me as I climbed into the backseat of the black range rover.

"Hi James," I shut the door behind me before I could get any more wet than I already was. "Lovely weather we're having today." I half grumbled sarcastically.

"It's coming down now." He agreed with a laugh. "Where to, Little Miss? Home?"

I smirked at the nickname that he had affectionately bestowed upon me since my parents had appointed him my driver. "Yeah, I suppose that's the best place to be in this weather." I nodded, and he pulled out of the parking spot.

The school was mostly deserted now; I had to file some paperwork with the office and was leaving significantly late. It was because of this that I was surprised to find one lone student standing under a tree in the hopes not getting wet. He apparently gave up on the matter and instead moved to lean against the fence.

I recognized him from one of my dance classes, how could I not? His red hair would have been visible even from a mile away.

"Stop the car." I said to James. He pulled over and I rolled down the window. I wasn't sure if he would accept my offer but, I was prepared to lend him my umbrella while he waited if he preferred.

"Hey," I leaned out the window, half cringing as the water hit my hair. "You're in my fourth period, right? Do you want a ride?"

He looked at me strangely. "Yeah…" His brow furrowed. "No, thanks. I'm just gonna wait for my mom. She's just running a little late."

'A little' was a bit of a stretch now. School had been out for nearly forty minutes.

"Are you sure? I can take you anywhere you like." I offered. "Really, it's no trouble. I have a driver."

He gave me a look that said 'oh, you're one of _those_.' "No, thanks. I'm good."

"Well take my umbrella at least," I held it out to him. "I'd hate for you to just stand there getting soaked."

When he didn't move, I decided to do it myself. "Really, it's okay, just take it. You can give it back to me tomorrow." I walked through the rain to hand it to him. I shivered both from the cold and in disgust.

He pursed his lips to the side for a second before finally taking the umbrella. "Thanks, I guess."

"You better be happy, I've just walked all this way in the pouring rain to give you my umbrella. I hope that I can salvage this sweater." I pulled the now heavy garment from my skin.

"I'm sorry?" He looked at me strangely. "You're the one that offered."

"Are you _sure_ that you don't want a ride?" I offered one last time. "You can call your mom or dad or whoever from the car. Really, I can take you wherever you'd like."

"Alright, sure. Why not?" He finally agreed.

I growled. "Argh. Really? You couldn't have accepted the offer _before_ I got out of the car?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. "Never mind, just get in the car. You infuriate me." I pointed to the car.

He pressed his lips into a straight line before nodding and making his way to the car. He pulled the door open and I stepped back to let him in.

"Please, after you." He gestured with an eye roll. I sniffed, but got in first anyway. "Drama queen." He muttered as he climbed in after me.

I glared at him indignantly. Here I was, trying to be nice and offer him a ride home, and he has the nerve to call me a drama queen. Well…perhaps I was one. Just a bit.

"I'm Griffin, by the way." He held his hand out to me. "Griffin Roberts."

I turned away from the window to look at him. I took his hand. "Sara Vallejo."

I wasn't prepared to meet his striking gaze. His storm blue eyes were intriguing and when paired with his smattering of freckles across his nose, he was somewhat good looking.

"Charmed, I'm sure." I managed as I pulled my hand away. "Here," I handed him my cell phone. "Call whoever you need to call."

He nodded before taking the phone and leaving a message for his mother who had apparently forgotten that she was supposed to pick him up.

"Miss Vallejo, your father requires this car immediately. Is it alright if we make a quick detour to your house so that we can trade cars? I will gladly take your friend to his destination in the Mercedes." James made eye contact with me in the rearview mirror.

"Sure," I nodded, only glancing at Griffin who said nothing.

When we pulled into the garage, my father was tinkering beneath the hood of the Mercedes.

"Hi Daddy," I went to greet him. "Something wrong with the car?"

"I'm not sure. I think I'm going to have to take it into the shop." He pressed a kiss to my forehead as he wiped his hands on a rag. "Who's this?" He smiled at Griffin.

"Oh, this is Griffin. He's a…friend from school. We were giving him a ride home, but then you said that you needed the car."

"Ah," He nodded. "Wait, why are you both sopping wet?" He had just noticed the state of our still dripping clothes.

"Long story, I'm going inside to grab some towels." I made my way to the door. "Come on, Griffin."

He followed me into the house, pausing in the foyer that I had once been rather awed by.

"You said your last name is Vallejo." He stared up at the high ceiling. "Any relation to the restaurant line?"

"Uh…that's my Dad, yeah." I rubbed my arm somewhat self-consciously. Sometimes the obscene wealth was more of an embarrassment than a blessing.

"Wow." Was all that he was able to say.

"Ay dios mio! You're dripping! Paresen pollitos remojados! Pobresitos!" My mother ran at us with a pair of towels, wrapping each of us individually, before going for more towels.

"What did she say?" Griffin was wrapped so tightly that he could barely move.

"Well, she said that we look like little wet chicks, poor things." I nodded, trying to wriggle free.

"I don't think we look anything like little wet chickens." He shook his head bemused.

I snorted. His hair was beginning to stick up in every direction. "Sure, if you say so."

"No, se me van a enfermar." She shook her head. "You'll get sick and then what'll we do with you? Both of you to the showers, now." She ordered, pointing upstairs.

"Ah?" I wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm sorry, dear." She turned to Griffin. "What did you say your name was?"

"Griffin Roberts," He looked slightly frightened by mother's type-a personality.

"Griffin, why don't you give me your mother's phone number, or your father's or whoever and I'll give them a call and let them know that you're okay. In the mean time, hot showers for both of you, leave your clothes outside and I'll throw them in the dryer." She ordered us around. "Here," She handed Griffin a notepad and pen. "Write down the number. And _Mami_, show him to the guest bathroom." She nodded to me before going to the kitchen to make the phone call.

"Sorry," I apologized to Griffin as I led him upstairs. "I guess it's kind of a Mexican thing. I'm still getting used to it, myself."

"You're how old?" He looked at me strangely.

"I'm thirteen. But…I kind of just got here." I shrank into my towel sheepishly.

He looked at me strangely.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." I tried to shrug it off. "You turn the handle counter clockwise, there's soap and stuff in the built in dispensers. Towels…here." I pulled two out from the closet along with a fluffy robe. "Alright…have at it, I guess." I turned to leave awkwardly.

"Uh…thanks!" He called after me.

"No prob." I didn't look back as I went to my own room to shower.

When I emerged into the kitchen, post-hot shower I found Griffin deep in conversation with my mother.

"I absolutely adore the Getty." My mother said to him as I moved to sit opposite of them. "Your friend's father is one of the assistant directors at the Getty!" She informed me excitedly.

"Oh, how…lovely." I was surprised at how well this was going.

"But before I forget!" She jumped up from her seat. "I called your mother, I told her not to worry. She's stuck at her office downtown, and it's impossible to drive in this rain now. She or your father will be by later to pick you up." My mother patted his shoulder and then went to tend to a pot on the stove.

"This is…definitely an experience." Griffin sat back a little in his chair. "I'm not used to such hospitality."

"We _do _try," I laughed.

I somehow managed to carry on a conversation with him and we discovered that we had the same music, math, and English classes as well.

"I'm sorry!" I giggled. "I'm terrible with names and faces! But aren't you lucky that I recognized you?"

"Nah, it's okay. I'm terrible with names too. Faces not so much. Speaking of names…what is yours, again?" He gave me an innocent look.

My mouth flew open in dismay.

"Just kidding, Sara." He shook his head in laughter.

"Here we go, chicken and rice. Eat up, you two must be starving." My mother placed a large bowl of soup in front of each of us. "Your daddy made that this afternoon, so it's fresh."

"This is delicious." Griffin was already devouring his bowl.

"Alright, I'll trust your judgment." I took a spoonful of the soup. Sure enough, just like everything else that my chef of a father made, it was excellent.

After lunch…dinner…snack…whatever it was supposed to be called, my mother insisted that Griffin and I do homework or 'something productive.'

I decided to take him to the lounge where we finished our math homework out of one textbook and then took turns with my copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_.

"So now what?" I stared up at the ceiling of the lounge. We were laying on the carpet, textbooks and notebooks strewn around us.

He sat up. "How is it exactly that you've only _just_ gotten here?"

I grimaced. "Alright. I guess I can tell you. But if you go around starting rumors about me, I'll hunt you down."

"Cross my heart," He drew an 'X' over his heart. "I won't tell a soul if you don't want them to know."

**Present Day** **-** And to this day, he's kept his promise. He has never told anyone that I didn't give him permission to tell.

I was thankful for his loyalty and his love. He was my best friend from that day on. I loved him dearly. It was ironic that the force that had led me to him was also the one that would drive us apart now.

It all started and ended with the Salvatores.

Anger surged through me for a second, before I let it go. Stefan would just have to get over himself. I wasn't going to live my life afraid to be who I am because he wanted me to be the old Sara. I'd just have to get him to see it my way.

There was a knock on the door that distracted me from my memories. I got up to see who it was, only to find no one there. I did, however, find a nicely wrapped box sitting on my doormat.

"What's this?" I asked myself as I picked it up. It wasn't ticking, so it obviously wasn't a bomb.

It didn't weigh much, but it was a pretty decent size. When I set the box on the coffee table, I eyed it suspiciously.

"Hmm." I muttered and decided to deal with it after my meeting. But then it started to rustle. "Oh?" I went over to it curiously.

I carefully undid the bow that was wrapped around the box and found a small card tucked beneath it.

_It's a boy! Give him a name and I'll meet you both at the park tomorrow when my flight gets in. Hope you love him as much as we love you! _

_ Love, Griffin _

What? I threw off the lid of the box only to find a small, squeaking puppy staring up at me from inside.

"Oh! Well, hello there little guy!" I lifted him from the box. He was a tan and white English bulldog puppy. "Hi!" I laughed as he began to lick my cheek. "You're so ugly, it's cute!"

He gave a small woof of happiness and began to shake in my hands. I could feel the rolls of puppy fat squishing in my hands. "You're so excited to be out of that box, aren't you?" I cooed at him. "Yes, you are. You need a name." I told him seriously.

I inspected him for any identifying marks, but I found none that stood out. "I guess I'll just have to wait to see your personality."

I looked at the clock and found that if I didn't leave soon, I would be very late for my meeting. I couldn't leave the puppy alone in the apartment, now could I?

"Wait right here, while mommy gets ready for her meeting, okay?" I set the puppy on the floor. "Stay," I told him. He looked at me with those huge puppy eyes, tongue sticking out and his tail wagging.

Mommy? Since when did I call myself 'mommy'? I shook my head and made a mental note not to do it again. I hoped that he would at least stay while I went to change and fix my hair and makeup.

"Puppy," I called to him from my closet where I was pulling a pair of shoes from the rack. "What are you doing?"

I was completely shocked to find him stumbling into the closet, just a minute later, my Steven Sondheim music book clamped in his puppy mouth.

"Not Sondheim!" I shrieked in horror. The puppy laid the book at my feet, teeth marks and dog slobber all over it.

"Gee, thanks." I lifted it with two fingers. He seemed to grin up at me happily, his tongue sticking out of his mouth. It was then that the idea struck me. "Is that what you want your name to be? Sondheim?" I tested it out.

He gave a bark in agreement. "Alright then, Sondheim it is."

Unfortunately, he was mischievous, so I couldn't just leave him in the apartment while I went to the meeting. I would have to bring him with me. Oh boy.

"Sit," I told him as I placed him in the backseat of my car. He slid over into the right seat. "Stay."

He began to pull at the seatbelt with his mouth. "No, don't chew on the seatbelt. Here, do you want to wear it?" I pulled it around him and clicked it into place. "Now stay."

And he did. The whole ride there, he sat contentedly strapped to his seat, shaking in excitement.

I got a few strange looks as I entered the building, but no one dared ask. Elijah's secretary cooed at him before going to inform him of my presence.

We didn't wait long before I was asked to enter his office.

"Sara!" He held his arms out to me. "Looking as lovely as ever."

"Elijah," I greeted him with a one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. My other arm was a bit preoccupied with a certain puppy. "Not so bad yourself."

"Dear," He stopped me before I could walk any further. "I don't know if you're aware of this. But dogs that are carried around do not typically ever grow to exceed ten pounds." His eyes twinkled teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. "I just got him today. Griffin sort of sprung him on me. I didn't have anywhere to leave him, so he had to come with me."

"Oh my goodness! Let me at it!" A shriek came from the doorway.

I grinned in anticipation. "Rebekah!" I turned to find her blonde locks streaming behind her as she ran towards me.

"Hello best friend!" She squeezed me. "Long time no see."

"Far too long, best friend." I agreed as she took the puppy from me.

"What's her name?" She cuddled him.

"_His_ name is Sondheim." I informed her as he began to lick her face.

"Sondheim, what an interesting choice." Niklaus' voice was audible just before he entered.

"Klaus," I shot him a playful look.

"Hullo, sweetheart." He too pulled me into an embrace.

"Shall we get started?" Elijah sat at the conference table.

"Yes, I'll review our final decisions with Finn when he returns from Britain." Klaus sat at the head of the table.

"Britain? You've got to be kidding me." Rebekah sighed in annoyance.

"Finn and Sage have gone to Britain to celebrate their anniversary." Elijah explained to me.

Rebekah and I took the seats across from Elijah. The office was quite spacious, large enough to fit a conference table for twelve and a separate space for his desk and a smaller, more intimate meeting area for smaller gatherings. The wall opposite of the table was a wall to wall window, giving a full view of the city below. The view was both breathtaking and frightening.

"I just don't understand why they would choose to vacation _romantically_ there." Rebekah shook her head.

"I think we all know why they actually went to Britain." Klaus took his place at the head of the table.

They didn't discuss the matter any further.

"So what's the plan?" I pulled out my iPad from its case to make some notes.

"Well it's quite simple actually," Klaus began. "A brand new solo album, from a completely different company than before. We'll say, eh, maybe ten to twelve songs, a few of them covers. We've found that your fans love covers."

"Hmmm," I made a few notes, nodding to him.

"We're hoping to release it sometime next May so that we can hit that summer hot spot, maybe even go platinum. You would like that, yes?" Klaus raised his eyebrows at me.

"Indeed." I agreed with him.

"We'll feature Rebekah on three of the songs, and it's a win-win for all of us." Elijah added.

"Okay," I nodded.

"That's not an issue, is it?" Rebekah gave me the same look that Klaus had given me just a few seconds before.

"No, of course not." I shook my head. "It'll be fun." I smiled at her. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too!" She grasped my hand in hers.

"Just one thing," I stopped them for a second. "Will I have to tour?"

Klaus and Elijah exchanged a look. "It depends on how well it does. If anything, a national tour, maybe twenty cities." Elijah explained.

"Alright," I added that to list. "Any other sort of promotions?"

"Ah, perhaps a few local signings. Nothing too strenuous." Klaus shrugged nonchalant.

"What do you think?" Elijah asked, checking in to make sure that I was buying it.

"I'll have to have my lawyer look over the contracts," I began to close down the program that I had been using.

"You know us, you know how we work." Klaus was almost staring me down.

"I think what my brother is trying to say is that you're like family. You can be sure that we won't screw you over." Elijah put it a little more gently.

"And it would be _so_ nice to work together again." Rebekah squeezed my hand.

"Then I don't see why not." I let out a breath.

"Wonderful! I'll send for some champagne!" Klaus snapped his fingers and the secretary ran in with a tray.

"Did you have these ready beforehand?" I asked dismayed.

"Perhaps," Elijah smirked.

"You sly dog." I smiled as I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Oh, and another reason for celebration," Rebekah turned to face me excitedly. "I'm engaged!" She held up her left hand now, a round cut diamond was encased between two baguette cut diamonds on a white gold band.

"Oh 'Bekah that's wonderful!" I exclaimed and hugged her.

"Isn't it?" She smiled. "It took Matt long enough." She grumbled.

"Even we thought he'd never ask." Elijah agreed with a laugh.

It really _had_ taken him a while. They'd been dating since college and Rebekah had never been the patient type. At our graduation she, quite loudly, informed him that if he wasn't planning on marrying her, then she didn't see a future with him. It was rather frightening, but I commended Matt for sticking it out.

"You'll be my maid of honor, won't you?" She asked me suddenly as I was taking a sip of the champagne.

I gave a small choking cough. She looked at me expectantly. "I don't think I could say no." I laughed.

"Indeed." Klaus agreed with a smirk.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" She clasped my hand once more. "Mother is throwing us an engagement party in a few weeks. Now you're absolutely _required_ to attend!"

"Oh boy." I sort of slumped back in my chair, almost exhausted already.

"It'll be _so_ much _fun_!" She exclaimed. "We're finally going to have the whole family back together! That's why Finn and Sage have gone to Britain. They went to fetch Kol. Mother said that it's time he comes home again."

"Oh?" I nodded, taking another sip.

So there it was. It was going to take a village to bring back Rebekah's elusive older brother. I hadn't known him for very long, as he was a senior when we were freshmen in high school. He always seemed to spend his time away from the rest of his family, often going against his parents' wishes. After their father's sudden death, Rebekah informed me that he had decided to go to school in Britain. I didn't think anything of it at the time; he had never really seemed close to the rest of his family, I had always attributed it to the large age gap between his older brothers and he and his sister. Yet here Rebekah was, joining her older brothers in their business deals. Perhaps it wasn't at all the age gap. Now that I looked at it, however, it seemed almost as though he left to…_get away_ from something.

"Ah, yes. We are _joyously _awaiting the return of our baby brother, Kol." Klaus laughed sarcastically, sipping from his champagne.

After the meeting, Rebekah and I had lunch in her office. We had a _lot_ of catching up to do.

"It's just going to be a small gathering," She explained her engagement announcement party. "The family, of course, and some friends. But it will _definitely_ be formal attire."

"You'll have to include that on the invitation. We wouldn't want to have the same mistake happen twice!" I laughed, referring to her huge sweet sixteen that was _supposed to_ have been formal attire only. Half of the guests arrived in casual clothing and Rebekah nearly blew the roof off of the house in anger at the 'ignorance of people these days.'

"I thought perhaps this time it would be implied." She petted Sondheim thoughtfully. "But I suppose I can include some fine print at the bottom, just to be safe."

"Better safe than sorry." I took a sip of my water.

"Also, I think I'd like to have everyone color coordinate, just so that we all look good in the pictures."

Oh boy. Here came the demands.

"Just don't put me in light green. I look _terrible _in lighter shades of green." I gave her my one condition.

"Well then we'll just have to make sure that we get you _just_ the right shade of green. That is if we decide to go with green." She smirked. "Although, I'm currently leaning towards a pink palette."

That was a bit more like Rebekah. If anything, the wedding color would be pink.

"I'm going to theme the wedding pink." She added. However did I guess?

"Yeah, that sounds about right." I laughed.

"Oh, I'm being such an attention whore!" She chastised herself. "You're engaged too! How is the wedding planning coming along? I trust that my services will be required in return?"

I couldn't very well tell her that I was going to call off the engagement, now could I?

"We can't all be as lucky as you, Rebekah. Some of us have fiancées that require _some_ input." I joked and casually avoided making eye contact for fear of giving anything away.

"Matt gives _some_ input. _Some_." She mused. "But it's just that _my_ plans are _so_ much bigger than his. He's beginning to understand that I have needs. Needs that can only be fulfilled just this one time. He knows. He generally lets me have my way about things. And mother doesn't question it, I'm her only daughter. And Daddy…" She paused for a second. "He would have wanted it."

The subject of Mr. Mikaelson was touchy. I only knew him for a relatively short time, as he died suddenly during Rebekah's freshman year. He had suffered from heart problems, and had a heart attack. There was some speculation as to what caused it, but it was never discussed outright with the family.

"I'm absolutely positive that he would have." I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She, in return, gave me a sort of half-hearted smile.

By the time that I returned to my apartment, it was starting to get really dark. And of course, there was yet another box. I hoped that it wasn't another puppy.

Inside I found a royal blue leash, stainless steel dog bowls, puppy chow, and an umbrella.

The note attached to the umbrella simply read:

_When the sun shines, we'll shine together. Until then, you can stand under my umbrella. Just in case it's still raining tomorrow, I'd prefer it if you stayed dry. _

He could be such a hopeless romantic sometimes. I sincerely hoped that he would never lose that, even if I decided to break his heart.

** A/N: **Reviews fuel the next update! Thank you to all who read!


	12. Gravity

Still Around

Chapter 12: Gravity

**A/N:** Sorry this took forever! I'm back in school now, so updates will be further apart, especially since it's my senior year. Thanks for all of the awesome feedback!

This is for Bella, who has been so instrumental in helping me develop what was once just a little plot bunny into a ferocious Flemish hare. :)

Today, we return to a song that I've used in a previous chapter. Hope you all like it!

_Seems only like yesterday, not even gravity  
>Could keep your feet off the ground when you're with me.<br>How can two be as one,  
>have become so divided now?<br>There's no use hiding from misery.  
>-"Energy" by Keri Hilson<em>

**Sara's POV**

Griffin had been back for nearly a week now, not that it made much of a difference. I barely saw him twice, once at the park for about an hour and later on in the week when he picked up Sondheim, insisting that he would take him to his doggy training classes.

I wasn't sure how hurt I should be, but considering that it was now a Saturday morning and nearly noon without as much as a text message was starting to make me worry.

I also hadn't heard from Stefan, but that was no surprise. If he needed to cool off, so be it. I certainly wasn't going to go beg his forgiveness for not honoring some stupid family feud. Still, I missed him dearly.

It was around one when I got a call from Alyssa. The sound of The Big Bang Theory's theme song startled me from my spot on the couch with my laptop.

"Hello?" I took the call.

"Hi Sara, are you busy tonight?" She didn't waste any time in getting to her point.

"Uh…that depends on what it is that you need me for." I replied suspiciously.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to dinner at our house. My mom's back in town and I kind of wanted you to meet the family."

I let out a sigh. I _really_ didn't want to go "meet" Rose; in fact I would rather have gone to tend to the animals at our Hacienda in Mexico than go see Rose. And I _hated_ pigs and chickens and…livestock in general.

However, when I took into consideration what Alyssa told me about her mother, I felt somewhat obligated to go.

"Alright…let me tell you something," I grumbled. "I'll go for you, but I won't enjoy one minute of it."

"Really?" I could just hear her face lighting up into one of her signature Alyssa grins. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Don't…get so excited." I grimaced. "What should I bring?"

"Just yourself." She was still smiling. "And maybe dress nicely, Uncle Stefan will be here."

I nearly rolled my eyes. We had kept our relationship on the extreme DL, but now that he was mad at me, it might be nice to remind him of what he was missing out on.

"I meant food wise, you goof." I shook my head.

"Ah…hold on…" She set the phone down for a few seconds.

While I waited I went to my closet to begin the search for the perfect dress.

"You can bring like a dessert I guess." She returned.

"You _guess_?"

"Yeah…" Something in her voice made me suspicious. "So see ya around six-ish?"

"I suppose…" I wanted to interrogate her, but she didn't give me the chance to.

"Alrighty, bye!" She quickly hung up.

I frowned. Something was definitely up, but I didn't know what it was. I almost didn't want to find out.

I went to take a relaxing bath before I got dressed. I definitely needed to de-stress if I was going to have to deal with the likes of Rose.

After a long, hot bath I wrapped my hair up in a towel and slipped into my fluffy robe to pick out appropriate attire. I settled on a burgundy colored belted sheath dress that fell just above my knees. The sheer fabric around the neckline and the soft fabric of the body provided just the right combination of sensual and casual that I wanted to convey. I then went and began to blow dry my hair, styling it to fall into curls that were a bit more controlled than usual. I kept my makeup simple, using neutral tones and emphasizing my long eyelashes and high cheekbones.

After I finished, I got dressed and made a phone call to _Cantabile_, one of our restaurants on the way to the Salvatore house, to inform them that I would be picking up a tiramisu. I considered taking flowers, but decided against it considering my past relationship with the hostess. By the time that I got everything organized, picking out my favorite black Prada clutch with the gold twisted clasp and a pair of nude with black lace overlay Louboutin peep-toe pumps. I made sure to take a denim jacket to ensure that my look stayed casual and just in case the Rose's presence gave me the chills.

Every time I went to _Cantabile_ I had the urge to just stay. My father had created it with me in mind, often referring to it as my restaurant. All of the dishes were my favorites, and I approved everything that went onto the menu. The interior was designed to feel as though you were on stage, thick red curtains hung over the windows and around private booths. The walls were decorated with black and white pictures of musicians; my favorite was the large Barbara Streisand that hung above booth number three, the one with the perfect view of the stage where a live pianist, jazz group, and occasional vocalist performed each night. The lights were angled at different directions, making you feel as though you were on stage and I felt right at home.

Sadly, tonight I could not linger. I picked up the dessert and hurried off to the Salvatore house, already running a bit behind schedule. As luck would have it, I arrived a few minutes later than intended, especially after having trouble with parking. Someone must have been throwing a party as there were way more cars parked on the street than usual.

I sent Alyssa a text message, telling her that I was at the door, and my nerves were slightly calmed when she met me there.

"Hey!" She greeted me brightly.

"Hey," I replied nervously. She ushered me inside. "You owe me big time," I grumbled.

She took the box from my hands and disappeared giggling.

"Sara?" Damon appeared in the doorway, his brow furrowed, a half panicked expression on his face. "What're you doing—?"

"Daddy, I invited Sara to dinner. I wanted the family to meet her." Alyssa returned, linking her arm through mine.

Damon's eyebrows went up as a feeling of dread passed through me, my stomach sinking into the ground.

"The family… You invited the…_whole_ family?" I choked out.

"Well I figured since they're here, they might as well meet you. I've told them all about you." She shrugged, her wide blue eyes looking up at me innocently.

I still couldn't believe that she didn't know. I had half a mind to just tell her, but my impending doom distracted me.

"Right." I let out a breath nervously. Things could not get any worse, they really couldn't.

"Mom, I want you to meet someone." Alyssa beckoned down the hallway as she appeared in the doorway.

And there she was, dressed in flare jeans and a black button down blouse, the mirror image of Damon.

She stared at me as Alyssa introduced me as her friend, chattering on about what a wonderful mentor I was.

We locked eyes for just a second, and that all familiar steely look hit me just as hard as it ever did. I lied, things could _absolutely_ get worse.

* * *

><p><strong>Thirteen years prior…<strong>

"Bye Grandpa, thanks for the ride." I waved back to the car before walking towards the building.

"See ya tomorrow!" Stefan waved from the backseat of the explorer.

I waved back to him before stepping through the lobby. I bid the doorman a good evening, as I went over to the elevator, punching the up arrow.

It had been a long day, from the early start for a final run through before school to the end of opening night of our school's production of _The Wizard of Oz_.

I sighed as I stepped into the empty elevator, pressing the button for the twelfth floor. I was utterly exhausted. Apparently being a convincing Dorothy was hard work, but it wasn't so much having to perform as it was that my dad had called during the middle of the day to tell me that he had to work late and wouldn't be able to make it to the show tonight. He apologized profusely, and I waved him off, telling him that he could always go to tomorrow night's show. I knew that I wasn't a little girl anymore and I needed to be mature about it, but a small part of me wanted to whine that he had promised to be there. He'd never missed anything this big, sure a little recital here or there, a school award ceremony once because of a business trip, but never an opening night performance.

I trudged out of the elevator and over to the door, half dragging my feet. My key slipped easily into the lock and I pushed the door open, only to find quite an interesting site before my eyes.

"Oh my god," A woman with shoulder length brown hair immediately jumped off of my father's lap.

"Sara!" He had a deer-in-the-headlights look as he fumbled around to button up his dark blue button down.

I didn't know if I should feel angry that he had lied to me or disturbed that I had sort of walked in on my dad.

"I-it's not what it looks like…" He cautiously put out a hand as if to stop me.

I, too, held up a hand to stop him and then I nearly ran across the room and down the hall. I didn't stop until I had successfully slammed and locked the door to my room.

Less than ten minutes passed before he was knocking.

"Sara…" Came the first gentle knock. "Can we talk about this?"

I ignored him.

"Please?" He tried again. "I know you're mad, but it…" It was silent for a few seconds before he continued. "I'm sorry, babe."

I half glared at my door, feeling myself beginning to break. No. I wouldn't let this one slide. He _lied _to me to stay home with…his girlfriend? I'd never met her before, so I wasn't sure. This was definitely a first. I began to wonder how many of those "business trips" and "late office hours" were actually what he called them.

I didn't speak to him for two days after that and I avoided him at all costs, going out of my way to leave earlier than he did so that he couldn't give me a ride to school.

"Hey kiddo, that was great!" He greeted me backstage after the final performance on the third night.

"Hey dad," I grumbled, seeing as ignoring him was out of the question due to the large number of people.

I made sure to take as many pictures as possible before having to deal with him. It wasn't until most of the people had vacated for their own homes that I noticed _her_. She was standing only slightly behind him, her hand wrapped around his bicep, just enough to come off as both protective and slightly possessive.

"You left these in the dressing room." Stefan came up beside me with the plain black Mary Janes that I wore before Dorothy's change into the ruby slippers.

"Thanks!" I took them from him and shoved them into my duffel bag.

"Are you ready? Shall we go? We're giving you a ride home, right? It's Saturday, maybe you could sleep over? Here, let me take your bag." He talked at a million miles an hour, but when combined with his scarecrow costume, and a smudge of brown makeup that he had missed on his nose, it was hard to take him seriously.

"Thanks…but my dad's here." I gave him a half hearted attempt at a smile.

His shoulders visibly slumped, his face crestfallen. "Oh," was all that he managed.

"Hey there, little brother," I felt his hand on my shoulder before I saw him.

"Hi, Damon." Stefan looked up at him.

"Wasn't that just a lovely performance?" My grandparents appeared from down the hall.

"I don't think I've seen a better Dorothy and Scarecrow since the original." My grandfather wrapped an arm around Stefan and me.

"And you were around for that, right Dad?" Stefan teased.

"Hey!" He ruffled his son's hair.

My grandmother pushed my dad out of the way as she snapped pictures with her camera.

"Mom, there's this fantastic invention, don't know if you've heard about it…it's called zoom." Stefan face palmed as she came up really close.

"I don't trust it. I want to be able to see the freckles on your face." She clicked away. "Zach, get out of the shot now. Just the two of them."

"Well fine…" My grandfather threw his hands up in mock offense and he moved to stand with my dad. "And who is this lovely lady?" He boomed as he noticed her.

I tried not to pay attention to them, instead wrapping an arm tightly around Stefan and smiling my brightest.

After picture taking, I was forced to acknowledge the two of them.

"C'mere," He led me to her. I sort of dragged my feet the whole way. "I want you to meet someone."

"Hi!" She grinned widely at me, her teeth were shockingly white making her resemble something out of Alice in Wonderland…particularly the Cheshire cat, with her big smile and large, cat-like eyes. "It's so nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you. I'm Rose."

I was forced to take her hand as she offered me hers. "Yeah…nice to meet you, too. Can't say that I've heard about you, though."

Her eyes widened and then flashed over to my father.

"Well…"She seemed at loss for words. "Perhaps we should get going; we don't want to be late for our dinner reservations."

"Dinner reservations?" Now that was where I was going to draw the line. If he thought that he was going to fix this by forcing me to spend time with her, he was _sorely_ mistaken.

"Yes, come along dear." She took my arm and linked it into hers. "It was lovely meeting you all, but we must be going." She waved to my grandparents before beginning her brisk walk to the door.

"Uh, I'll see you tomorrow," I sort of waved to Stefan as she pulled me along.

"Have fun?" Stefan was unsure of what to say. He _did_ however, manage to send me a look of confusion, followed by one that read something along the lines of I-don't-like-the-looks-of-this.

I gave him an '_I don't know?_' look before I whisked out the door.

"Uh…I don't think we need to be in such a hurry…" I shuffled along.

"We don't want to be late." She didn't even look at me now. "Love your shoes, by the way."

I looked down and was reminded of the she shockingly bright red shoes. Was she trying to distract me?

"We're doing just fine on time," Dad panted as he caught up to us in parking lot.

"I hate being late, love." She put her arm around him, letting me go. "You know how much I hate it." She nuzzled his jaw line with her nose.

I struggled to hide my face of disgust, instead turning away.

"Couldn't I have just gone with Grandma and Grandpa?" I asked the empty parking lot before me.

"Nonsense," She responded for him. "Wouldn't you much rather go to dinner with your…_hot_ dad?"

I gagged a little. "Not really." I muttered under my breath.

I heard the doors of the car open as they got in. "You're just kidding, right?" He paused before climbing into the black Lincoln navigator.

"Yeah," I sighed in defeat as I turned back to get into the car.

Dinner was…an unfortunate event. I felt horribly out of place among the adults at the restaurant that apparently Rose had selected.

"Isn't this great? I bet you feel so grown up." She smiled at me as she went to take a sip of her wine.

Sure, it would have been…interesting had I been given a heads up about where we were going, but considering the fact that I was still partially dressed as Dorothy, gaudy red slippers on my feet and my hair in braids, no, it was most certainly _not_ great.

It only got worse when I looked at the menu, and found it to be entirely in Italian. Great. I'd grown up speaking _some_ Italian, but definitely far from fluently. My father encouraged me to learn Spanish more than he pushed the Italian. I was able to decipher a few words and string them together to order what I sincerely hoped was a pasta dish. After that, the night just decided to continue its path on a painfully slow downhill course.

"So Sara, your dad tells me that you enjoy music. What in particular do you enjoy?" She began her questioning, and I felt as though I was being scrutinized under a microscope.

She clucked in disapproval when I told her that I had an appreciation for all kinds of music, murmured something to herself when I responded to her question about my school experience, and looked at me pityingly when I told her that I had hopes to enter the music industry with Stefan.

Suddenly her eyes gleamed with a sort of venom that made me feel as though I was her prey.

"Ah, yes…Stefan. Your…_uncle_, yes?" She asked.

And there it was. She wanted to discuss Stefan.

"I suppose so, yes." I responded slowly and cautiously, wary of where this was going.

"He's your dad's brother, is he not? That makes him your uncle."

"Yes." I didn't much want to argue specifics with her.

"You're awfully close for an uncle and niece," She commented, trying to sound nonchalant.

"We're the same age." I shrugged. "I would think that's normal. It's like having a cousin that's the same age as you."

"Mm, but he isn't your cousin…_dear_, now is he?" There was a sort of glint behind her smile now. I most certainly didn't like it.

"I think what she's trying to say," My father finally came to my rescue, "is that yes, they're close, but it's because they're the same age. They share the same interests because they've grown up together. Right, dear?"

Dear? Since when did he call me"_dear_?" I shot him a look, but he was avoiding eye contact with me.

"Yeah." I agreed speedily. I didn't think starting an argument would be the best thing at the moment.

"I just…I just think that you're a bit closer than…_usual_." She tried to play it off now as food arrived at the table.

"And what exactly is it that you would consider _usual_?" I challenged. If she thought that I was going to let her comment slide over my head, she was wrong.

"No, well…I just think that you're a little closer than what's socially acceptable." Rose took a bite of her salad and wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Socially acceptable?" This time it was my dad's turn to be skeptical.

"I don't think I understand." I also looked at her, a slight smirk crossing my face now that I had someone on my side.

"Don't you think that they're a little…too close for comfort?" She struggled to choose her words wisely.

"No." He responded bluntly. "I wasn't aware that there were _social guidelines_ for this."

"We don't need to discuss this right now, love." She smiled a bit uncomfortably and patted his arm.

He gave her a look that I couldn't quite read, but disturbed me a bit. He was never one for hiding his opinion, often giving it much too bluntly. This was definitely a first.

"Maybe…you're right." He conceded rather quietly.

What? He was going to side with _her_?

"Dad…are you feeling okay?" I looked at him strangely.

"We can talk about it later." He still didn't look at me.

"What is there to talk about?" I was honestly very confused.

"I said later, Sara." He shot me a stern look that told me it was best to shut up now.

And I did.

Nothing else was said during dinner; instead awkward silence filled the air, making me feel especially nervous. Apparently I was right to feel a little wary, as I certainly didn't see his next words coming. At all.

"So Sara," He began as he pulled out his wallet for the check. "How would you feel if Rose came to live with us?"

What? I seriously hoped that I had misheard his question.

"I'm sorry, what?" I shook my head, my brow furrowing in confusion.

"Would it be okay if Rose moved in?" He rephrased his question, his eyebrows going up in slight annoyance.

"With us? Like…in the apartment?" I was having trouble grasping the concept.

"No, on our doorstep." He replied sarcastically. "Of course with us, in the apartment."

We lived in a comfortable three bedroom apartment, a room for each of us, and the spare room used as his office. When I say comfortable, I mean for the two of us. I never in my wildest dreams imagined a third person coming to crowd up the space, much less anyone like _her_.

"Oh…oh…goodness." I stared down at my hands in my lap, unsure of how to respond. "Starting when?" I was rather afraid to ask, picturing her moving in sometime within the next week at worst.

"Uh…tonight. We moved most of her things over today." He was begging me with his eyes now. "So what do you say?"

Really? He was going to pull this one on me _now_? He expected me to become best friends with her _now_, after she practically insulted me, and was going to encroach upon _our_ house? Really now?

As a child, he constantly reminded me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, not to say anything at all. I found that this was going to be a _very_ useful virtue at this moment.

"Hello?" He waited, laughing a little nervously. "Anybody home?"

Home. How ironic as it would be anything but now.

How was it that any other day he would have sided with me, defended me, but today he chose not to? How could he expect me to agree to it after he had clearly divided us? This would clearly be the end of me. It would bring down everything that I had ever known, and I just wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

I didn't have the patience or the energy to deal with it that night. Any of it.

I slid my chair back, placed my napkin on the table, and promptly walked out of the room before I could let the tears fall. How _dare_ he spring this on me, especially after everything that's happened with her already?

It was then that the world began to collapse around me, as though it couldn't hold its own weight. He also stopped taking my view into consideration, despite all of my attempts to get him to understand me. He had stopped listening long before I told him that I wasn't happy with any of it.

And she stayed anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Time<strong>

Seeing Rose again definitely brought back a flood of memories, and not the warm and fuzzy kind.

"Mom? Sara?" Alyssa's eyes darted from one to the other anxiously.

"Hi, I'm Sara Vallejo," I decided that I had to be the bigger person for Alyssa. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from Alyssa."

She took my hand, obviously deciding to play my game of let's-pretend-we've-never-met-before.

"Rose _Salvatore_," She placed an emphasis on her last name. "Likewise."

We stared at each other for just a few seconds longer before Damon cut in, quite wisely this time, or else I might have said something that I would regret saying in front of Alyssa.

"Why don't we all go sit down now? I'm sure everyone else is waiting for us to get dinner started." He began to usher both Alyssa and me towards the dining room.

I felt as though my stomach had dropped into the floor below me. I was not prepared for _everyone_.

I sucked in a breath as we stepped into the long dining room. Apart from the fact that we were in Damon's house and not in the Salvatore house of my childhood, it was as though I had stepped into a very strange version of the past where everyone was a bit older than I remembered.

Zachary Salvatore, the head of the family sat at the north end of the table, Lydia Salvatore at his right side, and Stefan at his left. Beside my grandmother sat Jenna…or Aunt Jenna as I had once known her, and then Uncle Alaric, or Rick. Rose took her seat on his right, Damon taking the south end of the table. There were two empty seats, one to Damon's right, typically reserved for the first child, and another in between that one and Stefan.

If we really had been in the past, I would have moved to the one on the right; however nearly twelve years had passed since I had sat in this formation. And my feet felt as though they had been cemented into the doorway and my airway obstructed.

I suddenly felt quite lightheaded, unable to handle the weight of gravity. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea.

"Everyone," Alyssa cleared her throat, commanding the attention of those previously amidst quiet conversation with power that I had never seen in her before. The power typically possessed by well…me. "I'd like you all to meet my mentor, Sara. Although really she's more like an older sister than anything else. I'd like you to welcome her to our family like one of our own."

I was stuck now in the stares of every single person in that room. And I wanted to die. I hoped that the heat that rose into my cheeks would be enough to consume me.

It wasn't.

No one said anything. No one moved an inch.

"Oh my god," Were the lone words spoken by grandmother.

It was going to be a long night.

TO BE CONTINUED…

**A/N: **Ooooh…a cliff hanger! What will go down between the Salvatore family and Sara? Which seat will she take? How awkward will dinner be? You'll just have to review to find out! Reviews fuel the writing process for the next chapter! Please and Thank You!


	13. It All Comes Down to This

Still Around

Chapter 13: It All Comes Down to This

** A/N: **Oh awkward family dinners, aren't they the best?

I stood with my feet firmly planted into the floor, feeling as though it would consume me if I let it.

"You can sit here," Alyssa led me by the hand to the middle seat. "I made sure to have an extra seat for you."

The cat most definitely had my tongue as Stefan scrambled out of his seat to pull mine out for me.

The atmosphere of the room would have been a challenge for even a butcher's cleaver to cut through. Nothing was said as Stefan returned to his seat next to me after he had seated both me and Alyssa. I could feel all of their eyes silently judging me, waiting for me to say something. I was either going to make it or break it here, and I certainly hoped it wasn't going to be the latter.

"Why don't we get dinner started?" Damon went into the kitchen just off of the dining room to fetch the large salad bowls.

I had forgotten that the Salvatore family was accustomed to dining family style. Eleven years of individual plating was definitely going to throw me off.

"Salad?" Stefan passed me the large bowl of Caesar salad.

"Sure," I served some onto my plate and then passed it on to Alyssa.

"So how have you been?" I asked him quietly.

"Have you signed your contract?" He got straight to the point.

I studied him in his light grey button down, the fabric suiting his complexion well. I couldn't lie to him.

"No, I haven't signed it," I shook my head. Yet.

He gave a small nod, "Good. I want to show you something after dinner."

"So Miss..." Jenna Salvatore caught my attention as I scanned the table. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your last name."

Clever.

"Actually, I didn't mention it." I looked down at my plate. "It's Vallejo, but please, just call me Sara."

"Okay," She nodded. "I hope I don't sound like I'm picking on you, but exactly _how_ well qualified are you to teach our Alyssa?"

What? My head snapped up, and all heads turned in our direction.

"I'm an alumnus of the Los Angeles Academy for the Dramatic Arts," I began.

"Why not NYU or Julliard?" She took a bite of her salad.

"I preferred to stay closer to home. It had everything that I was looking for and,"

"What degree do you have?" She cut me off.

"I have a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Dance Performance, and I'm almost done with my Masters." I was able to reply steadily, but I had a feeling that the questions would keep coming.

"Why haven't you already finished your masters?" She continued after letting me take a bite of salad.

"I got signed by my friend's company and I had to go on a world tour." I had to chew and swallow quickly.

"Now why would you sign a contract that would take you away from your education? Don't you think that's setting the wrong example for Alyssa?"

I let out a quiet sigh. I took it that she was a bit bitter that I had chosen this over them.

"I think," Stefan cut in. "That it was an offer that she couldn't refuse. If you saw the contract Jenna, I'm sure you'd agree."

That shut her up for a little while.

"Thank you," I whispered to him, our eyes meeting through a side glance.

He gave me a slight nod. "Sure."

Dinner continued with a few murmurs here and there. I could occasionally make out the distinctive "S" sound of my name being whispered.

When dessert was served, the murmurs turned into positive comments.

"Rose, did you make this?" asked Lydia Salvatore, speaking for the first time since she had first laid eyes on me.

"Actually, our guest brought it." Rose had never liked to partake in these sorts of family events; apparently she hadn't changed as she didn't look up from the salt shaker that she was boring holes into with her eyes.

"Did your daddy make it?" Alyssa turned to me. "He's such a great chef."

'Your…father is a chef?" Lydia's eyebrows went up as she posed her question far more gently than any of Jenna's.

"Yes, he…uh…owns a few restaurants in the area." I nodded slowly.

"She's just being modest. Mr. Vallejo has several chains across the country and a handful of high end clubs and restaurants here in California." Stefan spoke for me.

"Oh," A few murmurs of surprise went around the table.

"Sara, do tell us how our dear Alyssa is doing with her studies," Jenna managed to resume her questioning.

"Alyssa is great. She's improved so much in just a few months. Why just a few weeks ago she refused to give even a small performance for her classmates and afterwards she asked when she could do it again." I nudged Alyssa gently.

"And what sort of unorthodox methods did you have to employ to get her there?" She questioned. "Performers use the worst methods."

"I'm sorry?" I looked at her indignantly.

"We go sing in her pool to learn support, we get priority for the auditorium at school because Sara's the program coordinator, and we dance in her studio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school." Alyssa explained. "I love it. Some of my friends have teachers that make them do some really weird things."

"Let's not judge the mixers' teaching methods." I sort of grimaced. I, too, had heard of the somewhat unconventional techniques a few of the sound mixers used to achieve the sounds that they were looking for.

"Still rather…_different_ methods. I don't see why Brookshire couldn't have put together a team from New York. After all, it _is_ the arts capitol of the world." She sniffed.

I had to take a breath before answering. "Brookshire wanted to put together a team of Alumni to come back and help their current students grow, make connections, get a taste of what their Alumni go on to do. They wanted the best of their students to come give back to the place that helped them get to where they are now. They hired me to bring back the top phoenixes in the industry for these kids. They hired me because I _am_ the best."

She was about to reply when Alyssa, thankfully, interjected. "Why don't I show you what we've been working on, Aunt Jenna?"

"Oh, well…" She blinked a few times. "I don't see why not."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I whispered quietly to her.

"What's the worst that can happen? I doubt they'll tell me that I suck." She shrugged.

"No, but they'll tell me that _I_ suck." I mumbled.

"Can I do _Tomorrow_?" She looked at me, her blue eyes filled with that innocent hope that became her so well.

"If you feel ready, yeah, go ahead." I nodded. "If you have your keyboard out, I'll accompany you as best as I can," I offered.

"Actually, I think I want to try accompanying myself." She waited for my approval.

"Oh, double threat. Alright…if you think you can do it." I nodded.

"Yay! Thank you so much!" She hugged me tightly. Oh how she adored hugs.

"Alright, go…prepare." I sent her off. She excused herself from the table and scampered off.

Everyone congregated in the living room to await Alyssa's performance. She had set up her keyboard in front of the main sofa arrangement where her aunt and uncle and grandparents had claimed seat. Damon perched himself on the arm of the couch beside his mother. Rose had taken the loveseat further away from the group while I leaned against the doorframe, not wanting to intrude.

Just as Alyssa sat down at the bench, Stefan entered the living room with…a baby.

"Look who woke up," He turned the baby to face Jenna and Alaric.

"Asher! You're not supposed to be awake for another half hour!" Jenna stood.

"It's alright. I've got him. Don't worry about it." Stefan waved his sister off.

He couldn't have been more than eight months old, with messy sandy brown hair and sleepy eyes; he was nearly a clone of his father. I found it strange that despite the fact that Jenna had helped raise me for the better part of my early childhood, I just couldn't grasp the fact that she now had a child of her own. Nevertheless, she would make a very good parent for this adorable little boy. If her protectiveness for Alyssa wasn't enough of a sign, then nothing would be. I wondered if she would ever do the same for me again.

Stefan passed me and went to sit on the settee against the wall. I studied him as Alyssa began playing the prelude to _Tomorrow_ from _Annie_.

He was patient, not minding when the child pulled at his collar or hair, or when he began to suck on the sleeve of his shirt. Stefan would gently tell him "no," and proceed to tickle him or make funny faces at him to cause a stream of happy baby giggles erupt from the child. He would make such a great father someday.

As for Alyssa's performance, she surprised me for the second time that night. She delivered a heart wrenchingly beautiful rendition of _Tomorrow_, even bringing tears to my own eyes. I was filled with a feeling of…pride?

How was it that this kid, whom I had just met less than a month and a half before, suddenly made me care for her so much?

She continued her little show when her family asked for more, going on with _Castle on a Cloud_ from _Les Mis_.

Stefan pulled me out of my trance, when he suddenly appeared beside.

"Come with me," He took my hand. "I want to show you something."

I nodded at Alyssa to continue without me as I turned to follow him.

He led to a back part of the house, and into what appeared to be, judging by the orderly stacks of paper and various CDs, his office.

"I was kind of hoping you'd consider doing this." He awkwardly thrust music sheets at me.

I looked down at it confusedly. It was a cover of Nicki Minaj's _Right Beside Me_, arranged by him.

"I studied your records, and it appears that your most popular songs tend to be covers." He rubbed the back of his neck a little nervously.

"You want me to do it right _now_?" I was caught a bit off guard.

"It's not difficult. I trust you know the song, yes?" He flipped another light switch and a small sound studio was illuminated behind a glass panel in the wall on the western side of his office.

I let out a puff of air. I wasn't sure why he wanted me to do this, but considering that I also wasn't sure if we were done fighting, I figured that it would be best to go along with it.

"But…why me?" I asked, curious.

He shrugged, "I guess I had your sound in mind when I arranged it."

I nodded and stepped into the studio with him.

He recorded my embellishments first and later the main vocal part. I was pretty surprised when he sat down at the piano to give his own improvised rendition of Chris Brown's verse. When it came to the rapping part however, I became a little wary. I was by no means, a rapper _at all_.

As if sensing my distress, he cut the rapping part, instead opting to record another chorus, together this time. After meshing the parts together and laying in a few instrumental parts, he was able to play me a pre-cut.

It struck me that this was the first time that I had ever made anything professional with him. It was…wonderful. It was like living again, finding a love for something that I had forgotten was there.

"You had all of that extra stuff premade?" I gave him a strange look. "How'd you know that I would even agree to this?"

"I didn't think you would be able to refuse the chance to do a Nicki Minaj cover." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"What a cocky man you are," I shoved him playfully.

"Ow, hey! That's no way to treat your producer." He gave a mock hurt look.

"In your dreams, buster." I rolled my eyes at him.

"So make my dreams come true and sign the contract that I'm going to offer you." He wrapped his arms around my waist, meeting my eyes sincerely.

"W-what?" I pulled away from him slightly.

"I needed this so that I could show it to the execs on Monday. I'm pretty sure they'll be scrambling to make you an offer much better than any Mikaelson could give you." Stefan looked at me hopefully.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." I pushed him away now. "I never said that I was looking for a better offer."

"You said you didn't sign the other offer, I don't see why you couldn't take this one." He was trying to reason with me now.

"No, I haven't signed it. But that doesn't mean that I'm looking for another offer at all. What if I'm not ready to take on a contract right now?" I challenged him. I was a little offended that he had taken the initiative to get me another offer. Did he not think that I could do it myself? How did he know that I even wanted to work with him? Work can tear relationships apart, why would I jeopardize this?

"Calm down," He held his hands up to show that he meant no harm. "I'm just showing you that you have options on the table."

I didn't need options. I just needed him. Why couldn't I just have both?

Then, as if he had somehow received some sort of telepathic signal, my phone vibrated with a text message from Klaus.

"Speak of the devil," I mumbled as I unlocked my phone to respond.

"So what do you think?" Stefan ran a hand through his hair impatiently.

Klaus wanted to know if he could meet up with me, apparently my contract was ready and waiting to be signed.

In that instant, I made my decision.

"Yeah, well…I guess I'll think about it." I nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

I sent Klaus the address of the house and told him that I would meet him outside so that I could sign, and he could then be on his merry way.

Stefan seemed satisfied enough with my answer as we went back to join the others in the living room. It was almost too easy to slip quietly out of the house to meet him outside.

He had parked right in front of the driveway, and stood leaning on the passenger door of his silver Maserati.

"Took you a while, didn't it darling?" He smirked, holding out a manila folder for me.

"Hello to you, too Klaus." I grumbled and snatched the folder from his hand.

"What sort of gathering is this?" He asked, trying too hard to make polite conversation as I read over the notes left by my lawyer.

"You don't want to know." I shook my head as I flipped to the last page.

And because heaven forbid that I would be able to pull this off without anyone finding out, Alyssa opened the front door.

"Sara, what're you doing out here?" She came down the walkway to meet me.

"Nothing, Lyss. You can go inside." I glanced at her before scrawling my signature on the dotted line. "I'm done here."

She looked at Klaus curiously, but made no move to introduce herself.

"Hello," He smiled rather uncomfortably. Strange. _Nothing_ ever made Klaus uncomfortable.

"Alyssa, are you out here?" Rose also emerged from the house.

Good lord, why not just make this a party? I had a feeling that my head would roll if any Salvatore stepped out of the house.

"Rose?" Klaus stared at her incredulously.

"Niklaus?" She paled and her eyes widened in what appeared to be a horrified expression.

What? There was no way that they could have ever met each other. I could almost swear by it.

"H-how have you been?" He sputtered.

This was getting extremely puzzling. Klaus had absolutely, never, _ever_ stuttered. I made a mental note to ask Rebekah about it.

"Fine." She replied crisply.

He nodded slowly. His eyes travelled over to Alyssa. "Oh, is this your daughter?"

"Yes," Rose snapped. "Alyssa, go inside. It's cold out here." She commanded her daughter.

Alyssa took one last look at him before holding her hand out to me.

I handed the folder back to Klaus, telling him that I would speak with him on Monday and then proceeded to usher Alyssa back into the house.

I managed to catch the tail end of the conversation from a distance.

"You have…a lovely daughter." Klaus was choosing his words carefully.

"Look, just stay away from her, alright?" Rose glared at him before marching into the house behind us.

She shot me a glare, as if daring me to tell her husband. I wouldn't tell him. I couldn't tell him.

Alyssa appeared unphased. If she didn't know about the Michaelsons, I much preferred to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, Rose caught me before I left for the night. Stefan had gone to get his jacket so that he could walk me to my car, leaving me alone for just a few minutes.

"If you tell Damon about that, I'll make sure that you regret it." She whispered icily in my ear.

"I won't tell, if you won't." I shot back. "Hold up your end of the deal, and I'll hold up mine."

"I've kept my end of the bargain for over a decade. Don't make me rat you out now." She threatened, turning to leave just as Stefan reentered the foyer.

"Are you ready?" He asked, opening the door for me.

"Yeah," I nodded.

I wasn't able to say much as he walked me to my car, for fear of it slipping out. Thankfully, it didn't.

"So…I'll call you later?" He phrased it as more of a question than a statement.

"Sure," I agreed as I stepped into my car. "That would be…nice."

"Okay," He smiled at me before closing my door. "Coffee tomorrow at your favorite spot?"

"Yeah, sound good." I agreed.

"It's a date."

I waved back to him as I pulled away. So our fight was over, but I could help but feel that something was still going to go horribly wrong. Good things never seemed to last for me and honestly, I was in no hurry to find out what it would be next.

As I drove home, a call from Griffin appeared on the blue tooth screen. I debated whether or not I wanted to answer it, however, it was as if my thumb instinctually hit the red "ignore" button on my steering wheel. I didn't need to know that he wouldn't be home tonight. He hadn't been for the past two weeks, and tonight would be no different from the next few nights either.

**A/N: **So….something is going on with Griffin! Reviews and you will find out sooner! It's going to be one heck of a ride.


	14. Glimpse of the Truth

Still Around

Chapter 14:Glimpse of the Truth

'_Cause this life is anything but certain,  
>when they close the final curtain,<br>You'll get a glimpse of the truth._

'_Cause you're still around,  
>Well, she's still around<em>.

_-Still Around, 3OH!3_

**A/N: **So…get ready to say goodbye…

**Damon's POV (I feel like this hasn't happened in a while.)**

Alright, so I had absolutely no idea that Alyssa was going to invite Sara to our family dinner night. When she said friend, I figured she meant a friend from school. Although she technically _is_ a friend from school, that didn't spare me the agony of that night. Not only did I have to endure and interrogation from my parents, but also several arguments with my wife. Needless to say, I had forgotten what it was like to have Rose around and a week later, we still weren't on speaking terms.

I had grown accustomed to simply going out for a drive if she started to get me riled up. Her favorite topic always seemed to be Sara. I handled it better than Alyssa, who always seemed to flee to her room in tears. I knew it was time to find some sort of distracting activity when I found myself beginning to wonder how much longer she would be staying. I know, I know, a husband shouldn't feel that way; but lately…it was all I could do to distance myself from my increasingly unstable wife.

It was on the third night of driving that I discovered him. It was as he somewhat secretively entered a high end hotel, nodding at the doorman as if they recognized each other. This obviously wasn't anything new.

I tried to keep an open mind, tried not to assume the worst, but as she became increasingly closed off when asked about him, I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't just sit around and watch her get hurt.

I followed him for a week, just to make sure, and each night he did the same. He would nod to the doorman, slip him something, and disappear inside. Now, I might have been jumping to conclusions a little quickly when I decided to continue following him, but my suspicions were only confirmed when I went inside to inquire about his…residency.

I hit the little bell on the front desk of the posh marble and velvet lobby. The darker tones of the room made it seem a rather fitting place to hide away.

"Yes?" A short, stubby man emerged from a door behind the counter. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Yes…"I nodded. "I was wondering if a Griffin Roberts was staying here."

"Roberts?" He asked while typing the name into their system. "Ah, yes, however I can only allow you to go up if you're on the approved list. Your name, sir?"

Damn it. I'd have to try something else. "I don't believe it's on there. But thank you anyway. I'll come back some other time." I turned on my heel.

"Sir, I can call him for you and let him know that you're here." He called after me.

"That won't be necessary." I held up my hand to stop him as I walked out of the door.

I continued my sleuthing for another week, discovering that on weekdays between one and seven p.m. a blonde worked the counter. Now not to be judgmental or assume the stereotype, but judging by the way she spent her time playing on her iPhone or staring at herself in its reflective surface, I figured that she would be easy enough to charm.

Now all I needed was to get Sara to agree to come with me. _That_ would be more difficult than any of my detective work combined. Sure, I figured that there was something sketchy about Griffin right from the get-go, but to get her to believe me was going to be a feat in itself.

Imagine my surprise when I told her that I had been following him and she didn't bite my head off! She actually agreed to come with me when I offered to take her to their meeting place.

Naturally, she was defensive at first when I asked about him, but judging by her sigh, she was ready to get it over with.

"So how is Griffin?" I asked her during our phone call, getting straight to the point.

"Fine." She snapped. "Why?"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I was just asking." I tried to calm her down.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I actually wouldn't know. I haven't seen him in a few weeks."

"Ah," I almost smiled gleefully. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Is there a point to this call, or are you just doing this to annoy me?" She wasn't having any of it.

"Actually," I paused. "There is."

She didn't say anything. She waited for me.

"I don't want you to be mad at me for doing this..." I began. "But I've been following Griffin around and….well," I didn't know how to say it.

She still didn't say anything.

"I don't know how to put this…" I couldn't do it. "I think…that he may be cheating on you."

She made a clicking noise on the other side, and I thought, for a second, that she was going to hang up on me.

"Sara?" I made sure that she hadn't.

"I'm still here." She replied quietly.

"Listen, I can show you where it is. It's your choice if you want to go in or not, but I thought you should know." I hoped that she would agree to come.

"Fine, we'll go tomorrow. You can pick me up at four." It was all she said before hanging up.

I was completely shocked at how painless that was. Well….relatively painless for me. Of course, I knew that this must be hurting her in some way, but I figured that it would hurt her more if she found out some other way. I didn't want to hurt her, in fact if I could have kept it from her, I would have. For about three days, I considered paying him off to get him to leave. It might have worked, I don't know. But as far as I was vaguely aware, she had Stefan to console her right now.

I was surprised for the second time that day, when I told Stefan about my findings.

"I told you there was something fishy about him." I took a sip from my tumbler of scotch.

"Damon," He sighed. "Why'd you have to go get involved?"

"What?" I was shocked. "Isn't this what you wanted? She won't be engaged anymore."

He pressed his mouth into a firm line. "Sara and I…we didn't…we don't…we just can't right now, okay?"

I was exasperated. "What the hell do you mean you _can't_?"

"We both need to work some things out before we take anything further." He wasn't going to explain much to me.

"And I think I just took care of one of your main issues, so why worry now?" I tried.

He glared at me with his usual broody look. Apparently, there was more than what meets the eye.

"Fine, then I suppose you won't be joining us tomorrow, when I show her that Griffin is a good for nothing cheater?" I began to leave his office.

"I'll meet you there." He grumbled before I left.

"Good," I smirked as I closed the door.

I set up a sort of mini plan, to have him arrive when she would surely be trying to exit the building. She would end up right in his arms. It was practically fool proof.

Great, I finally felt like I was making up for being such a horrible person and tearing them apart before.

So why did I feel as though something was going to go absolutely, horribly wrong?

**Sara POV**

I sighed as I set my phone back into its dock. Damon's statement hadn't been news to me. I had suspected Griffin of cheating on me for a while…I just preferred not to think about it.

I couldn't very well confront him about it while I was cheating on him myself. So I end it with Stefan in an effort to get back to Griffin. I told him that I had signed with the Mikaelsons and he had practically blown a gasket. We agreed that there were too many things in the way for us to be together right now. I tried to convince myself that it was for the best, but I missed him so much.

He had been everything that I ever dreamed he would be, and now I had to let that all go. Griffin had promised to try to "come home" but every night he made some excuse that would keep him away. Maybe after all of this was over, things would go back to normal. All he had to do was apologize. It wasn't like I hadn't done it myself. We just needed to get back to the start.

Damon picked me up just like I had instructed him to. The car ride was surprisingly quiet.

"Thank you," I said to him quietly, unable to look at him.

"For what?" He asked.

"For…looking out for me." I clenched my jaw slightly defiantly. There, I said it.

He gave a small nod. "Of course."

I was almost puzzled when he pulled into the parking lot of a hotel that Griffin and I had stayed at rather often when we needed a night of different scenery.

"Here?" I asked slightly incredulously.

He nodded and got out the car. I followed him to the front desk.

"Hello," He greeted a blonde girl that was leaning against the counter, gazing at her phone. "I'm sorry to bother you, but it appears that I've lost my room key."

Her eyes glazed over a little as she stared at him. He had always been quite the charmer.

"Sure," She smiled. "I just need your name."

"Roberts," He smiled widely at her. "Griffin."

"Yeah…room sixteen-twenty." She swiped a plastic card and generated a key. "Here you go."

"Thank you," He winked at her and she nearly swooned.

I rolled my eyes. Had he not been my father, _maybe_ I too would have swooned, but sometimes he laid it on a little too thick.

"Come on, let's go." I dragged him to the elevators.

"Do you know where we're going?" He asked as we stepped in.

"Unfortunately, I know _exactly _where we're going." I punched the button in the elevator as the doors closed.

Boy, did Griffin have nerve bring his…I mistress to _our _room. He could have reserved any other room in the whole damn hotel, but no, he reserved _our_ room. This was a _very_ low blow.

"Might I ask how you know?" Damon pushed gently.

"Whenever we would stay here, we always got room 1620 because of the amazing view." I growled out, snatching the key from his hand.

I didn't think that I would be this mad, but boy oh boy was I wrong. My anger only seemed to increase as I marched down the long hallways of the sixteenth floor.

"Slow down, maybe you should take a deep breath," Damon nearly had to jog to keep up with me.

I said nothing as I approached the door. I considered knocking for just a second.

"Hold on, collect your thoughts, first." He touched my shoulder in a warning. "You don't know what's behind that door. It could actually be nothing."

"I don't think it's nothing, Damon." I glanced at him through the corner of my eye.

"Alright, it's your decision. If you want to open it, go ahead." He let go and I slid the key into the slot.

I heard the door unlock with a soft click, and I pushed open the door.

The small sitting room was empty and the curtains were drawn so the view was not visible. I took a step inside, flipping on the light switch. There was no one in the kitchen area either, though I did find a pair of Griffin's shoes tossed lazily to the side of the couch.

"I don't think anyone's here," Damon stepped in cautiously.

There was a sudden rustling from the bedroom. He spoke too soon.

I strode over to the door and nearly threw it open. Nothing could have possibly prepared me for the sight that was before me.

My fiancée was getting pretty hot and heavy with someone on the bed.

"What the hell?" The figure that had been lying on the bed sat up.

"Oh my god." I recoiled.

It wasn't a mistress at all. It was the one person on this planet that I loathed to the core, Mr. Jason Knight.

"Sara?" Griffin's eyes grew wide as he jumped away from Jason and tried to button up his shirt.

"What the fuck is this?" I couldn't contain myself now. "You're gay?"

He held out a hand as if to stop me. "I can explain."

"Don't you even dare come near me." I backed away from him as he approached me.

"I know that this looks really bad," He ran a hand through his messy red hair.

"Bad? Oh Griffin, you have no idea." I shook my head.

"Will you just give me a chance to explain?" He looked almost ready to cry.

I didn't care. All of my sympathy for him had vanished the second Jason Knight decided to announce his presence.

"You're going to tell me that you had no idea that he's gay? Not even the slightest little inclination?" Knight appeared in the doorway of the bedroom in only his boxers and unbuttoned shirt.

I glared at him before turning back to Griffin.

"How could you?" I sent daggers at him with my eyes. "I loved you. I trusted you."

He of all people knew how much that was worth. I had trouble letting anyone in after Damon. This had ruined _everything_.

"I didn't know how to tell you…" He almost whispered.

I shook my head at him. I didn't know when I started crying, but I was surprised to find hot tears streaming down my face.

"Please don't cry, babe." Griffin reached out to touch my cheek.

"Don't!" I jumped backwards, away from him. "Don't call me that. Don't touch me. You have no right."

"Can we just talk about this?" He held his hands up in surrender. "I…still love you."

"Fuck you." I growled. "I want nothing to do with you."

"Sara, don't." He caught my hand. In that instant, I reflexively turned around and slapped him across the cheek.

The sound of my hand against his face rang through the hollow room.

He let go of my hand to touch his burning cheek, the imprint of my hand beginning to form on his pale skin.

"I think I deserved that." He conceded.

I could feel my nails beginning to cut through the flesh of my palms as my nails dug in from the pressure of my fists. "You deserve worse."

"We can talk once you've cooled down," He was still holding his cheek.

"I have nothing left to say to you Griffin." I shook my head as I toyed with my ring. I slipped it off and held it between two fingers as if it disgusted me. And it did. Everything that it represented, all of the lies disgusted me. "Stay away from me." I threw it at him before running out of that godforsaken hotel room.

Griffin called after me, but I ignored him.

Damon had decided to wait outside, but I left him standing there as I ran for the stairs. The elevator would take too long. I needed to get out of there. I felt as though it was going to swallow me and keep me there forever.

"Sara, wait!" Damon ran after me, he was nearly two flights behind me as I got to the bottom.

I didn't stop until I was outside.

"Wait!" He called again, thinking that I was going to run again. Where did he think I was going to go?

I sobbed; gut wrenching, loud, wet, hiccuppy sobs as I stood on the sidewalk. I thought that I would collapse onto my knees, but a pair of arms held me up.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea." He whispered into my hair.

I cried into his chest, and just a few minutes of my life, I felt like a child again; a little girl that just needed to be held by her daddy.

I couldn't even string together a coherent sentence, I was sobbing so hard.

He took me home, opened my door and carried me to my bed. He didn't leave when I caught his hand, begging him not to leave me alone. I was afraid of what I would do if I was left alone.

"It's okay, it's alright." He stroked my hair. "He wasn't worth it, anyway."

I clutched his shirt in my hand, terrified that he would leave me alone.

I don't know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, he wasn't there. I sat up in a panic. I scurried into my living room to find him having what appeared to be a quiet, deep conversation with Stefan.

My eyes narrowed. This was all Stefan's fault. If I hadn't been so distracted by him, none of this would have happened. If Stefan hadn't come back, he would never have met Jason Knight. Everything would be just perfect if Stefan hadn't returned to my life.

"Hey," Stefan over to me. "Are you okay?" He tried to wrap an arm around me.

"Don't you dare." I pushed him away. "This is all your fault."

He looked at me puzzled. "I'm sorry?"

"_You_ introduced them." I growled. "_You_ caused all of this."

"I had no idea that…Jason was gay." He shook his head.

"You have nerve being here right now. I don't even want to see you." I glared at him.

"If you want me to go, I'll go." He nodded, his forehead creasing in worry.

"Get out." I didn't even bother asking him politely. I wanted nothing to do with this world right now.

He exchanged a look with Damon, before turning to leave.

"You should leave, too." I turned to Damon.

At this, he raised his eyebrows at me. No, I wasn't forgetting what he had just for me. I was just beginning to irrationally blame him as well, so I figured that it was best that he leave, too.

"I'll be fine." I waved him off.

"Are you sure?" He gave me one of his stern "fatherly" looks.

"Yeah," I nodded, avoiding his eyes. "Just…tell Alyssa that I'll be…around if she needs me."

He nodded and put on his jacket. Before he stepped out of the door, he turned to me. "I'm around if…_you_ need me."

"I know." I whispered as I closed the door. Letting him see this much of me was too much to bear right now. I was supposed to be mad at him. I was supposed to hate him. Yet here I was, letting him take a look behind the velvet curtain that was the façade that I put up to shield myself.

He gave me one last nod before leaving me again. This scene was all too familiar for me. I didn't want to deal with this now. I wanted to be alone, but I feared it. The sea of loneliness engulfed me, and I let out a choked sob. I sat on my couch and reached for my phone.

It rang a few times before it was answered.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Bekah?" I tried to control my tears.

"Sara?" She asked, worry immediately obvious in her voice. "Are you alright, dear?"

"I-I need you right now." I cried, tears coming down my cheeks in torrents.

"I'll be there in five minutes."

And she was, complete with ice cream, chick flicks, and a bottle of wine. She held me as I hiccupped out what had happened, and promised to beat Griffin's ass if she ever ran into him.

"He'll be sorry." She stroked my hair.

"I've wasted eleven years of my life." I sniffed.

She handed me a tissue. "That's alright. He didn't deserve you anyway."

I took it. "Thanks."

"Are you going to fire him?" She rubbed my back as curled myself on the couch beside her.

I nodded. "I don't think he'd stay anyway."

"Everyone will be too terrified to take his job." She laughed a bit nervously.

"I won't start auditions for a while." I sighed at the idea of having to find someone who could replace him in the troupe.

"Well, don't worry about it right now." She patted my shoulder. "Let's just watch something funny. I think we both could use a laugh."

She put _The Proposal_ into the DVD player, apologizing for the irony, but it was our favorite RomCom.

She stayed the night, making sure that I didn't do anything stupid. I was especially grateful for her during the next few weeks. She kept me on the right track and even helped me break it to my parents.

They were exceptionally devastated; especially my father, who had seen Griffin as the son that he had never had.

She even stayed true to her word, and had nearly gotten herself arrested while hitting and kicking Griffin when she ran into him at the gym.

"I think I gave him a black eye." She proudly informed me, earning a giggle from me.

"Gawd, Bekah." I shook my head. "I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"Anything for you, dear." She smiled. "Besides, it was fun."

It wasn't easy, but time certainly didn't stop for me. Soon it was October and the leaves on the trees began to change to that hideous brown color that California trees turned into. I began to change, too. I didn't notice it immediately, but it crept up on me. I got over it. I allowed myself to get past it all.

I didn't need a man to make me feel better. Hell, I was the most powerful woman on the committee for Brookshire's alumni division program. I was going to hire or promote the best damn male lead they had ever seen. I was sure of it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of just how soon I would be forced to hire someone. The school threatened to pull money from the program if I didn't fill the position within the first week of October, and because heaven forbid that it would be an easy task, all of the males qualified to take the position were too afraid to even try to fill Griffin's shoes. Great.

That was until one Wednesday afternoon, when I got a phone call informing me that someone would be coming in to audition. The nerve. Apparently it was someone with no prior connection to the troupe.

"Wonderful," I grimaced as I scribbled notes onto a pad of paper in my kitchen. It wasn't even eight a.m. and I was already being called in to audition some, no doubt, cocky man that thought he had even the slightest chance of getting the job. If he was coming from the outside, which he was, this was most certainly in his dreams.

There would have to be some sort of miracle for this guy to convince me to give him the job as Male Lead over anyone else in the troupe. I would beg someone else to take it before I stooped as low as giving it to an outside person.

** A/N: **And so we say goodbye to Griffin! …for a little while at least. Don't worry, he'll be back. As for this mysterious person who will be joining us next chapter, who could it be now? Hint, hint: he's a very attractive Original.

Reviews fuel the next chapter!


	15. Pretty Young Thing

Still Around

Chapter 15: Pretty Young Thing

**A/N: **Time to meet a new character!

**Disclaimer:**__I own nothing. Seriously.

_**For Bella, who just couldn't wait for this. Merry Christmas! :)**_

**Sara POV**

I felt as though I was a student again, wandering the halls of Brookshire Academy for the Arts with stacks of manila folders and all sorts of applications. I don't know who it was that decided that the head needed to fill out grant forms and other paperwork, while also "getting" to evaluate several applicants for various positions in the alumni troupe. Oh goody.

I had been at the school since nine a.m. and I was already exhausted. The last thing I needed to deal with was the trouble of auditioning and interviewing an outside applicant for the position of Male Lead. I was running late for this meeting and found myself running through the recently empty halls. I had just come from the main office, my arms weighed down with paperwork high enough to block my line of vision unless I craned my neck to look over it.

I blindly ran around corners, desperately trying to get to the auditorium on time. I ran past a few troupe members gathered at a table painting a sign for the upcoming fall showcase.

"A little help, guys?" I begged them.

"Sure," Riley, a tap dancer with an exceptional talent for jazz came over to take part of the stack from me.

"Thanks!" I sighed as he took half of the load. "I needed that. Do me a huge favor and leave them in the counseling office, will you?"

He nodded and went on his way. The others were still too afraid to look me in the eye after I had bluntly and rather loudly informed them all at a rehearsal last week that unless someone stepped up to the plate to take the lead, the whole program would be facing cuts.

"I'll see you guys later," I nodded to them, as I left them to their work.

I glanced at my watch and saw that unless I hurried again, I would be severely late to this interview and I would hate to leave anyone waiting.

I resumed my brisk pace, around the row of vending machines and then the section of orange lockers for the instrumentalists before slamming into a wall.

Paper and folders went flying everywhere and I felt myself start to go down.

I barely had time to cry out, "Hey! Watch where you're…" before I was caught. "Going." I finished as I was set back on my feet by the 'wall.'

I hadn't run into a wall at all, but a man.

"Perhaps if you looked up from time to time, you would have seen that you were obviously _my _way." He stooped to pick up some of the folders at his feet.

He was actually quite attractive, with slightly disheveled light brown hair, and easy, mischievous eyes that gave him a more boyish appearance.

I shook my head. I wasn't going to let his good looks distract me from the fact that he had just partially insulted me. Sure, there was some truth to his statement, but obviously he didn't know who I was.

I quickly moved to collect the other papers that had been dispersed across the width of the hallway. I also took the ones that he had just finished collecting.

"I don't need your help." I snatched them from him. If he wanted to insult someone, he needed to go pick on someone his own size.

"I was trying to be polite," He put his hands on his hips. "But apparently, that's unnecessary. I'll just go back to not caring." He reached for a folder that was just out of my own reach. His accent was…beautiful, enough to make me swoon a little.

"Thank you," I grumbled as I took it from him. There was something very familiar about him, but I couldn't place it.

"Shame, such a pretty little girl like yourself…" He trailed off, a smirk on his face. "What a waste. Really quite a shame."

"Excuse me?" My eyes narrowed at him. It was hard to concentrate when he smiled in a boyish way that accentuated his cleft chin and youthful eyes.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "You have a good day." He nodded to me before pushing past me and continuing down the hallway.

He didn't actually think that I would let him go now that he had actually insulted me, now did he?

"Hey!" I called after him. "Wait!"

He paused and turned around. "Actually…do you happen to know where the—no never mind." He shook his head, chuckled to himself and then went on his way. I tried not to stare at his handsome backside as he walked down the hall.

I let out a growl. If he was unlucky enough to cross paths with me again, he would most certainly get it.

I entered the auditorium and sat in the director's box, right below the balcony. I turned on the little light and picked up the file that they had given me on him.

"Hello?" A voice came from the stage.

I opened the file to see his name on the information sheet.

"Am I in the right place? I'm looking for…uh, I actually don't know who I'm looking for." He conceded.

That accent, it was the same one from just a few minutes ago. My head snapped up, just after my eyes caught, _Kol Mikaelson_ on the sheet.

Sure enough, there he was, squinting out into the audience.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" I cried, throwing my hands into the air in defeat partially out of annoyance, and partially because I should have recognized him sooner.

I turned on the house lights so that he could see me.

"What?" His mouth dropped open. "Not _you_ again."

"Nobody's keeping you here." I crossed my arms in a challenge. "If you want to leave, the door's right there."

He grimaced. "Fine. Alright."

"I'm ready when you are." I sat down again and picked a pen, ready to tear apart his performance. I'd be damned if he was going to give me a perfect performance.

"My name is Kol Mikaelson; I'm twenty-seven years old. I graduated from here in…well you can do the math. It's all on the sheet. Do I actually have to go through all of this?" He asked impatiently.

"Oh, I know exactly who you are." I shook my head. "You may begin when you're ready." I sat back, waiting.

He went over to the band that had arrived just moments before, giving them some instructions. I made a note on the plus side, he was not afraid to tell them what he wanted.

"My first song is called _P.Y.T._, originally by Michael Jackson." He informed me, before giving a nod to the band to start.

I move to the front of the auditorium, sitting in the front row.

"You know, you make me feel so good inside." He sang right at me. He had a smooth voice, pleasing enough to the ears. "I've always wanted a girl just like you, such a p.y.t., pretty young thing."

If he hadn't been able to see me, I might have slid right out of my seat. When he got to the chorus, I was nearly ready to faint if he didn't take his eyes off of me soon.

"I want to love you, P.Y.T, pretty young thing. You need some lovin', TLC, tender love and care."

"Oh my god." I jumped as someone whispered into my ear. Malia, a troupe member sat down beside me. "Who is he?"

Slowly, more and more members started streaming into the seats. By the end of the song, the first few rows were filled with a sizeable audience and he had the girls screaming for him.

"Oh my." I said once they had quieted down. "That certainly was something." I fanned myself with the manila folder, hoping to evaporate some of the heat that had risen to my cheeks.

"Right." He nodded. "My next piece is _When I Get You Alone_, as made famous by Robin Thicke," He smiled as the girls just started screaming.

Good lord. I wouldn't be surprised if he had slept with all of them within a month from now.

I had to admit…he was talented. His stage presence was remarkable, and he had a way of making even _me_ swoon that I doubted I would be able to find anywhere else. He caught me completely off guard when he came down the stairs to take me by the hand with him.

"Baby girl, you da sh… that makes you my equivalent." He leaned in so close that I could smell the mint in his breath. "You can keep your toys in the drawer tonight, alright." He sat me on a stool and used me as his prop. "All my dogs, talkin' fast: ain't you got some photographs?"

How dare he _use_ me?

The cheers were crazy now. "Well does she want me to make a vow? Well does she want me to make it now?" He had dropped to his knees as if begging me.

Then he pulled me to my feet, twirled me around once, before pulling me close, to finish quietly, "When I get you alone."

The troupe went wild. "Oh my god, you have to give him the job!" A few of the girls in the front row cried.

"Out, all of you. I need to speak to our applicant alone." I shooed them away.

There were a few grumbles and cries of protests as they filed out.

"So, I guess you have to interview me now, don't you?" He asked, that boyish smile returning.

"You're talented, there's no doubt about that." I gave him a curt nod. "That's all for today. Don't call us, we'll call you." I handed him my business card.

"I don't understand." He shook his head.

"Oh Kol," I smiled. "It's been too long."

He looked down at the business card, then at me in dismay.

"What?" He was baffled. "Who the hell would put _you_ in charge?"

"Well that's no way to speak to your potential boss, now is it?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

He let out a grumble. "Forgive me; time has not been my friend in this case."

"Indeed." I made another note that he was rather forgetful. "I suppose you remember me now?"

"How could I forget?" He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his olive green linen military jacket. "You and Rebekah were always running around, getting into all sorts of trouble."

"Not as much as you," I shot back. His eyes flashed for a second. I wasn't sure if it was hurt…or something else.

"I suppose you're right." He nodded.

"That'll be all, Kol." I touched his shoulder as I moved past him. "Thank you for coming."

"Wait," He called after me. "Allow me to apologize. Let me take you to lunch."

Oh, so now he wanted to be a gentleman? After insulting me, embarrassing me with…sexual songs, and being rude?

"I can't." I shook my head. "Sorry."

"Some other time, then?" He stepped in front of me to stop me.

"I don't know." I tried to push past him.

"Alright, how about dinner then?"

"I don't think so." I shot him down again.

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a terrible sport." I almost couldn't resist that charming smile of his.

"Sorry," I shook my head again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got things to finish today."

"I won't take no for an answer!" He called after me as I left the building.

I had a feeling that he would continue to be very persistent. So be it. I'd just have to put up with it while I kept him waiting.

He had the job in the bag the second he finished his first song, but I couldn't tell him that. It would all just go to his head and make it bigger. Kol always _did_ have quite the ego. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of getting to me that easily. If he wanted the job he would have to work just a little harder to convince me that I was making the right decision.

When I went out to my car later on in the afternoon, I found a cream colored envelope under my windshield wipers. Intrigued, I pulled out its contents.

_The Mikaelson Family Requests Your Presence  
>This Satuday evening, at seven p.m.,<br>to celebrate the engagement of:_

_Rebekah Anne Mikaelson  
>to<br>Matthew David Donovan_

_Formal Attire ONLY_

I had to laugh when I saw the last line. Rebekah certainly knew how to avoid her past mistakes. Seeing as I was the maid of honor, my presence was required.

I got into my car and inspected the other contents of the envelope. There was a time line of the schedule for the night, completely Rebekah micro managed, and directions to the house for those who didn't know where it was.

I was about to start my car, when I found another slip of paper inside. It was torn off from some other sheet of paper. His writing was scrawled quickly across it, in a beautiful, but hurried script.

_Can't wait to see you there.  
>-Kol<em>

Ah, now if it was _me_ that he wanted, then he would have to work much, _much _harder than that.

All I needed now was a dress for this grand event. It didn't help that Rebekah called later on, insisting that she wanted me in the wedding color: pink.

Really? Pink? In the middle of fall? Where the heck was I supposed to find a pink dress?

I was going to go absolutely mad trying to find a pink dress before Saturday night.

**A/N: **So engagement party next chapter! And more Kol! Yay! Now all of you…REVIEW!


	16. One Step Closer

Still Around

Chapter 16: One Step Closer

**A/N: **Don't you just love Kol? The next few chapters will be very Originals/Mikaelson family heavy.

This is also for Bella, because she just adores Kol so very, very much.

_Heart beats fast,  
>Colors and promises. <em>

_How to be brave?  
>How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?<em>

_But watching you stand alone,  
>All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.<br>One Step Closer…_

_-A Thousand Years by Christina Perri_

**Sara's POV**

For the past two days I had been going completely mad over a dress that would probably be worn only once. It was absolutely impossible to find a _pink_ dress in the middle of fall. It simply wasn't in the current season's color palette.

I found a salmon colored dress, but later returned it because I had convinced myself that it wasn't nearly pink enough.

"Damn it, Rebekah!" I muttered as I paced around my living room for what felt like the thousandth time that Saturday morning. I had made a few phone calls that morning to several boutiques in town, but only two of them said they currently stocked any sort of appropriate frock in pink. I was waiting for those two to get back to me on the availability of the gowns that I had inquired upon.

I was once again disappointed when I was told that one of my last resorts didn't have any in stock. I growled as I dropped my phone back onto the counter in the kitchen. "You have got to be kidding me."

Thoughts of feigning the flu danced through my head before I was reminded of why I had wanted to go so terribly in the first place. It wasn't the best reason in the world; in fact, it was probably the worst, considering that I was supposed to go anyway, as the Maid of Honor and all. Still, every time I thought of it, I was filled with this glimmer of hope.

It was silly really, to think that he of all people could do this to me. How was it that after just one short run-in, he had managed to turn my whole world upside down? I blamed him for all of my troubles. Finding a pink dress wasn't really all _that_ difficult, it just needed to be the _right_ dress, it needed to be, well…_perfect_.

I toyed with the idea of going through my mother's closets. She had exquisite taste, if not a little more matronly than I would have liked, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. I picked up my phone once more, to call my mother, when there was a soft but quick knock at the door.

"Just a minute!" I put down the phone. Sondheim ran over excitedly to the door. "Calm down, Sondheim." I sent him away.

I looked through the little hole, but there was no one there. I then opened the door and looked both ways, but there was not a soul in sight. It was only when Sondheim barked once more at my feet, that I noticed a large, rectangular box on my doormat.

"Oh goodness." I said to him. "Last time one of these was left on my doorstep, I ended up with you."

He barked again, happily.

I picked up the box and brought it inside, closing the door behind me and then setting it on the coffee table. It was a rather large box, though it wasn't nearly tall enough to hold another dog. Thank goodness. The box was gold colored; a smaller matching one was tied to it with a thick white ribbon wrapped around them in a bow.

To say that I wasn't intrigued would have been a lie. So I gingerly undid the bow and pulled the smaller box into my lap. I lifted the lid to find the most spectacular pair of golden Jimmy Choo strapped peep-toe stilettos. It was love at first sight. Those shoes were just begging me to be worn. If the amazing shoes were in the smaller box, I was quite anxious to inspect the contents of the larger box. I removed the lid from it, to find a small card made of thick, creamy paper, emblazoned with the Mikaelson crest at the top, laid on the white and gold swirled tissue paper concealing the contents of the box. There was a beautifully written, yet perplexing message written on it.

_Perhaps it is finally time for you to outshine my sister at one of her own events.  
>We need to have a little chat. See you there, I'll be waiting.<br>-K.M._

I was more than just slightly confused. Why was it that Klaus needed a "chat?" Had I done something wrong? Oh god, what if he found out about Stefan?

I began to pace once more, wracking my brain for every possible reason. It was only when I glanced at the clock that I realized there was no time to be wasted. If I was to arrive on time to this event, I needed to get moving soon. I returned to the box to finish what I had started.

The tissue paper was pulled back to reveal a small velvet box, just the size to hold a ring. I lifted the lid to find a sparkling cushion cut champagne diamond ring set in rose gold with smaller round diamonds surrounding it, spilling over onto the thin band. It was absolutely stunning. A small scroll of paper fell out as I tried the ring on.

_Something to make you sparkle._

I was quite surprised to find another velvet box, this time a thin square one in the next layer of tissue paper. Inside it held the most outrageous champagne diamond necklace that I had ever laid eyes on. It had tiny oval diamonds to make up the neckline that curved down into a point, a large teardrop champagne diamond dangled at the bottom. I was utterly stunned. Above it, two carat champagne diamond studs, also encircled by tiny diamonds, were held into place. Apparently only my finger and neck were supposed to be overwhelmed with the weight of diamonds.

_May you shine more radiantly than the sun. _

I was almost hesitant to uncover the final layer of tissue paper. It was easily one of the prettiest dresses that I had ever seen. The dress itself was staples, made of ballerina pink tulle that glittered slightly; a wrapped sweetheart neckline and a ball gown skirt were brought together by a high belted waistline made of beaded silk flowers of various sizes, pearls and rhinestones used as embellishment on the flowers. I didn't even have words to describe it. All of my problems had been solved with a single knock on the door.

I made a mental note to thank Klaus before I had to tear myself away from the dress. I restored all of the contents to the boxes and carried them with me to my car as I left for hair and makeup. The mani-pedi that I got after my hair was finished really helped to de-stress me. My life had been rather hellish for the past few weeks and I found that this was just what I needed.

My hair was styled up in a casually messy, but attractive style and my makeup was kept simple so as to not draw away from the rest of my attire. I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything fit like a glove. I only felt the slightest bit of remorse for such a brilliant outfit after thinking of Rebekah. This was until I reminded myself that she too must have been wearing something amazing.

Returning to the Mikaelson house after so long was surprisingly refreshing. I still knew exactly where everything was, and easily found my way through the hustle and bustle of set up to Rebekah's wing of the house.

I ran into Finn in the hall way on the way to her rooms.

"Good, you're here!" He stopped me.

"I am," I nodded slowly as I began to wonder what had possibly gone wrong already.

"Please, I beg of you. Deal with her. I haven't the patience any longer, and you know that I have quite a bit of patience." His hands closed around my shoulders, his eyes pleading with me. "And I still have to go make sure that the caterers have gotten settled and mother wishes for me to have the guest lists checked. I can't possibly do all of that while having to field Rebekah's endless demands."

"Alright, alright," I patted his arm. "I've got it under control."

"You," He kissed my forehead. "Are a godsend."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know. Just go do what you need to do."

He nodded before running off, the tails on his coat trailing behind him.

"Oh, and Sara?" He stopped me again as he hit the grand staircase.

"Yes?" I waited.

"It's nice to see you again. You look lovely tonight." Finn smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

I smirked. "Thank you, Finn. It's nice to see you, too."

Rebekah didn't appear to be even the slightest bit worried when I walked into her sitting room. She lounged across one of her couches, her emerald colored gown spilled over the soft cushions.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you." She smiled as I entered. "Oh my, don't you look…just like a prom queen waiting to be crowned."

"You wanted pink, Bekah." I reminded her as I sat in the armchair beside her.

"Oh, no matter. Whoever dressed you deserves an award." She smiled.

"Actually," I began to reply, when I was, rather rudely, interrupted.

"Rebekah," He called from the full length mirror by the shuttered windows. "Tell me how handsome I am."

Frankly, I was surprised that I hadn't noticed him sooner. He was admiring himself in the mirror, and he looked quite ravishing in his tux, black bowtie and tails suiting him quite well.

"Oh Kol, you know that I won't be the one to flatter you. You'll have to find someone else to do it." She glanced at him and went back to examining her nails.

"Alright," He straightened his bowtie that just could seem to stay straight.

He caught my eyes in the mirror and smirked almost menacingly. I felt heat rising to my cheeks.

"Why don't _you_ tell me how handsome I am?" There was a glint in his eyes.

I turned around quickly, pretending not to have heard him. I made a show of rolling my eyes dramatically.

"Don't be so rude, Kol." She scolded, shooting him a glare. "One would think that nearly a decade in Europe would have cultured you a bit, but I swear, you came back worse."

He huffed in annoyance before striding over to bow before me. "My apologies, Miss Vallejo." Then he turned back to Rebekah, "Happy now?"

My eyebrows went up in amusement.

"Oh really, Kol?" Rebekah sighed. "You just get more and more childish each day. I swear they must've dropped you on your head when you were a baby."

"Ouch." His eyes narrowed at her. "I'll be sure to remember that comment next time you throw one of your little tantrums over nothing."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. It was certainly going to be an experience. They had bickered like this in the old days; I wasn't at all surprised to find that they still did.

"Get out." She pointed to the door. "No one invited you in here in the first place, anyway."

"Okay, I'll leave." He conceded, his hands in the air. "But whoever will you get to be your little bitch boy? Oh right, I'll just go get Matt. He'll do it for you, no questions asked."

"Yes, he will." She stood up now. "Congratulations, Kol. That's the first bright idea you've had all week."

His jaw tightened as he bit back a statement. Then his eyes gleamed in amusement, perhaps at his next statement. "You know, I might've been dropped on my head, but you were _clearly _thrown at a wall."

She was about to go after him when I lunged for her.

"Don't," I held her back. "It's not worth it."

He smirked as he casually strolled out the door.

"Good riddance!" She picked up a small pillow from the couch and threw it at him. It hit the door.

"Love you, too, Bekah." He chuckled from outside.

She glared at the door before turning back to me.

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head.

"No, stop. I told you to stop, remember? You don't have control over him." She had apologized profusely for the past two days after I told her about his slightly inappropriate audition.

"It's not about that anymore." She shook her head. "I'm really sorry now."

"What is it?" I was becoming wary of what it was this time.

"It's just that Matt's best man won't be here until later. He's flying back in from New York, so Kol is going to be filling in for him." She began to explain.

"Okay…" I replied slowly.

"No, you're not quite grasping this." She took my hands. "You'll have to enter with Kol and put up with him at dinner and during the toast."

Oh goodness. I didn't know if I should have been annoyed or pleased.

I blinked. "Alright, I'll deal with it. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"Ah," She squealed quietly. "I knew you were the better choice over April to be my Maid of Honor."

"You were going to make her your Maid of Honor?" I looked at her almost indignantly.

"I considered it," She gave a small nod. "For about thirty seconds."

"Bekah, you wound me." I feigned offense.

"Oh, oh but I'll make it up to you. I promise!" She squeezed my hands, her eyes widening in worry. "I'll minimize your contact with Kol as much as possible."

I laughed. "There's not much that you'll be able to do about it. I'll have to see him nearly every day in just a few weeks."

"No!" She cried. "You're not actually going to give him the job, are you?"

"Well, considering the fact that he was the only applicant and no else wanted to contest it, I don't have much of a choice."

"Oh gawd," She flounced back onto the couch. "You'll never hear the end of it."

"Eh," I shrugged.

"Bek, it's time to start." Matt Donovan popped his head in the doorway. "Hey, Sara!"

I smiled at him before turning to Rebekah. "Are you ready?"

"Of course I am." She went over to a small side table beside the door where she had placed her small clutch. "But really, if you can avoid it, I wouldn't recommend hiring him. Save yourself some sanity."

She was out the door before I could reply.

"I already have." I whispered quietly.

"Aren't you coming?" She came right back in.

"Yeah, I'm right behind you." I followed her out the door.

The grand entrance at every Mikaelson party was always quite the spectacle. For starters, they always entered in birth order, Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson Sr., always went first so as to announce their children, as if people could ever forget them. Now that it was only Mrs. Mikaelson, she decided to opt out of the entrance, instead standing at the foot of the stairs in waiting. As customary, Finn and Sage went first, the skirt of her eggplant colored gown trailing behind her.

"So," Kol tried to make conversation as we waited for Finn and Sage to hit the floor. "I was wondering when I start."

"Start what?" I acted like I had no idea what he was talking about.

"The job, of course." He looked rather annoyed. "I'm getting a bit impatient waiting for the confirmation email."

"I told you not to call, that we would contact you." I shrugged nonchalant.

"Yeah, and I'm going to assume that your presence tonight is my contact."

It was my turn to smirk now. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had gotten the job right away.

"Contrary to your belief, I'm here for Rebekah. In case you didn't know, I'm her Maid of Honor."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Alright, fine. Have it your way, we can do this the difficult way."

"And just what exactly constitutes as the 'difficult' way?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Seeing as you're the _Maid of Honor_ and I'm standing in for the Best Man, it's customary for us to be seen together." He smiled gleefully.

"Oh god, no." I shook my head, beginning to back away slowly.

"Oh _yes_, darling. You and I will be practically attached at the hip tonight." He straightened his bowtie and held out his arm to me as Elijah and Darren were called.

"Please, I'll do anything." I begged him.

"Tell me when I start." He looked at me somewhat expectantly.

"I won't lie to you, Kol." I looked him right in the eyes.

"I tried to be polite and ask nicely." He crossed his arms like an upset little boy. "Now you'll just have to deal with it."

He was absolutely horrible sometimes.

"Come along, love." He held his arm out for me as he approached the staircase.

I shot him one last look before taking his arm and putting on my best show-smile.

"Don't forget to save me a dance." He whispered quietly as we descended the stairs.

"Don't count on it." I hissed through gritted teeth.

The cameras were blinding. By the time we reached the bottom, I had trouble finding my footing and had to clutch Kol's arm to ensure that I wouldn't end up on the floor.

I very nearly tripped over nothing, the flashes still obstructing my vision. He steadied me with one hand and wrapped his other arm around me to hold me up.

"Are you alright?" He whispered quietly so as to not draw attention from his sister's over the top entrance.

"Yeah, thanks." I nodded, but made no move from under his arm. "It's the shoes."

He nodded, never taking his eyes from the stairs. He was staring at a particular spot on the landing right beside his mother.

I wondered what he was thinking about, but didn't make the connection until later. Mr. Mikaelson was always sorely missed at these events.

Dinner was going to be a _long_ ordeal. I was seated at the main table with the rest of the family, Kol to my right, my father to my left.

"You look stunning, _mami_," My father commented as he seated my mother.

"Wherever did you manage to find something like that here?" Mother agreed with him.

"Ah, it just…sort of appeared on my doorstep." I told them, knowing full well that they would never believe it if I told them.

"Please sit," Kol pulled out my chair for me and gestured to it.

"Ah, and who is this?" My father turned to Kol.

"Daddy, you remember Kol, don't you?" I touched Kol's arm gently, as if instructing him to introduce himself.

"How could I forget? He was always giving Mikael the hardest time. Good to see you, son." Alonso held out his hand to Kol.

"Likewise, sir." Kol shook his hand. "Kol Mikaelson, at your service."

We were seated before the conversation continued.

"Kol, it's been so long," My mother leaned over my father. "How have you been? Your mother told me of your time in Europe."

He took a sip of water from the glass in front of him before continuing.

"I've been..." He paused for just a second, long enough to make me turn to him. "Well, I'm better now." He caught my eye, before glancing back at my mother.

I felt heat beginning to rise to my cheeks, so I hurried took a sip of water in the hopes that it would cool me down.

"I'm so sorry," Darren craned his neck around Kol, who continued his conversation with my parents.

"Why?" I smiled knowingly.

"If he gives you any trouble, just let me know," He nodded. "I'll personally take care of him for you."

I shook my head and he laughed. "How are Leah and Lila?" I asked him of their four year old twin girls.

"Oh, you know. It's the terrible pre-school age," Darren shook his head in amusement. "I suppose we should've looked at the job description a bit more closely than we did."

"I'd be happy to watch them for a few hours if you and Elijah need a break," I offered.

"Did I just hear a free babysitting offer?" Elijah turned around in an almost frantic manner.

"I would take that back if I were you," Darren muttered quietly, his blue eyes twinkling. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"Hush, Dar," Elijah playfully glared at him. "If you're not busy this coming Friday, we'll take you up on your offer."

I laughed out loud. "Well that didn't take long. You'd think that they were devil children."

"You don't understand," Darren shook his head, dark curls shaking. "They are absolutely impossible."

"They're at the age where they have to know absolutely everything about anything that crosses their mind." Elijah explained.

"The questions _never _end." His husband agreed. "Day and night."

"A break would be a miracle for us." Elijah looked at me expectantly.

"Alright, alright" I waved him off. "I'll do it, but you're going to owe me one."

"Thank you!" They chorused. "We are eternally in your debt."

"I know." I smiled.

Dinner consisted of a mixed salad with raspberry vinaigrette, followed by a creamy squash soup, and a tender Cornish hen for the main course with a side of mixed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Kol commented.

"I suppose so," I looked at him through the side of eye. I could very nearly predict what would come next.

"You know what else would be nice?" He continued.

"No, stop. I know where this is going." I shot him down.

"All you have to do is say the word and I'll be out of your hair." He smirked. "It could be so easy, like taking off a band aid."

"Too bad, you'll just have to wait like everybody else." I didn't look at him as I cut into the hen.

"Fine." He conceded. "Don't forget, you still owe me a dance."

"Yeah, in your dreams." I muttered.

The toast followed dinner, and what an experience it was. First, Mrs. Mikaelson gave a touching speech that brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the room. Thankfully, she ended on the high note on hopes for their beautiful future after reminding Rebekah that her father would be so proud of her.

She was followed by a combined speech given by her three older brothers. Finn told several stories of her childhood, Klaus followed up with her early teens, and Elijah ended with a bit of comedic relief, ending with their full approval and congratulations to the happy couple.

Unfortunately, a small speed bump was hit when Kol took the mic.

"Oh gawd," Rebekah hid in Matt's shoulder.

"So…" Kol began nervously. "I'm not actually the best man. I'm just filling in."

"I second that," I whispered back to her.

The room was dead silent and only became more awkward by the second.

"Rebekah has always been a…_special_ child. We knew it would take a particularly gifted person to put up with her for the rest of her life. She's always been a little different." A few chuckles were heard in the back.

I was honestly beginning to feel really sorry for him. He wasn't comfortable up there at all. He stood utterly alone, his weakness on display for the world. It was nice though, to see that he actually was human. It was endearing, almost reassuring.

"Frankly, this isn't entirely what we meant when we said different, but I suppose that it'll have to do." His distaste for Matt was starting to show.

A hand tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find Klaus handing me another mic.

"Save us, please." He pressed it into my hand. "Before he makes an even bigger fool of himself."

"After all, beggars can't be choosers," He laughed a bit nervously.

"I think," I cut in. "That Kol is trying to say that Matt and Rebekah are not what _he_ expected. Those of us who have been privileged enough to witness their love understand that they are meant to be together."

I received nods of encouragement from Elijah and Klaus to continue.

"Hello everyone, for those of you that don't know me, I'm Sara Vallejo, Rebekah's Maid of Honor. I've known Rebekah for…oh…the better part of a little over a decade, and trust me when I say that I have never seen her eyes light up the way that they do for Matt. See, it's no surprise that Rebekah had her share of boyfriends throughout high school, but when she met Matt, everything changed. If we have any of our old high school friends, I'm sure that they'll be quick to tell you how, well, shallow Rebekah was. If it wasn't about Rebekah, she didn't care. Then she met Matt at our college freshman orientation. No, it wasn't love at first sight, but there was a little something there. I'm pleased to say that I actually set up their first date," It was going well. Perhaps they never should have let Kol speak.

I kept the conclusion simple, and minimalistic. "I think I speak on behalf of the whole Mikaelson family when I thank you all for joining us tonight to celebrate this joyous engagement. May they live prosperously and may we all continue to look forward to their big day. A toast to Rebekah and Matt's beautiful future," I held my champagne flute to them before signaling to the audience that they too could do the same and drink.

"Thank you," Finn took the mic from me afterwards. "I figured you were the best for damage control."

"I'm the best for everything." I informed him.

"Good, I hope you're the best at evading Kol because he's coming right at you." He gestured behind me.

I turned to find Kol pushing through people, a rather menacing look on his face.

"We'll talk later." I patted his shoulder. "Right now, I have to go hide."

I did my best to avoid him, hiding in the back of rooms and in corners, hoping that he wouldn't find me. I caught a glimpse of him in the doorway, so I turned and ran. I hit the wide open front door and considered going outside. He would never think of following me outside, now would he?

I was turning to go outside, when I was stopped right in my tracks. He stood there, painfully handsome in his tux, his eyes widening in surprise before changing into a somber look.

"Stefan," I acknowledged him quietly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, a pain crossing his eyes.

"I, uh, well," I struggled for an answer.

"Stefan," Matt called from behind me. "You made it!"

I turned around to face Matt and Rebekah. I shot Rebekah a panicked look.

"Bek, this is my best friend from high school, Stefan Salvatore." Matt pulled Rebekah up the steps to the landing at the door. "I can't believe you're only just meeting."

"Rebekah Mikaelson," She held her hand out to him. "Charmed, I'm sure."

Stefan looked utterly shocked. Still, he would never want to be rude, he took her hand.

"I see you've already met my Maid of Honor," She turned to me, giving me a look that clearly read 'we need to talk.'

"Yes, we've met before." He nodded.

"Oh?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Long story, I won't bore you with it." Stefan gave her a quick nod.

"Well, you'll have to tell me sometime," She smiled at him. There was a threatening glint in her smile.

"Absolutely," He kept his gaze steady and unreadable.

"Ah, that favorite dance of yours is next," Matt squeezed Rebekah's hand. "The two of you will join us, won't you?"

"Of course," I looked down at the floor. I couldn't look Stefan in the eye. "But what about Kol? He won't have a partner." For once, he seemed the better alternative.

"Kol can fend for himself." Rebekah shrugged. "I saw him just a few minutes ago flirting with some beach blonde tramp that must have wandered her way into the party."

I paused for just a second. I knew that we had no connection whatsoever, but it stung a little to have to think of him with someone else.

"Rebekah," Matt scolded her gently.

"What?" She looked at him. "Well…at least _I_ didn't recognize her."

He sighed shaking his head.

"Shall we?" Stefan held his arm out to me.

I tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't look at me.

"Sure," I took his arm and entered the ballroom with him.

I spotted Kol across the room, preparing to take the floor with a pretty blonde in a dark red dress. I had to tear my eyes away from them.

The dance itself was not a complicated one; it was centuries old after all. It was only about a minute in when Stefan began to speak quietly.

"How have you been?" He asked me quietly enough that only I heard him. "Since you know…everything."

I turned back to him to look at him, his footwork gliding effortlessly over the marbled floors. "As well as can be expected, I suppose."

He nodded before releasing me so that we could do the hand turns. We didn't speak much more, until Kol and his partner had somehow made it to our side of the room. Kol locked eyes with me from afar.

"Next dance," Kol mouthed to me when his partner wasn't looking. There was no escaping him now.

"Who's that?" Stefan's eyes flicked over to Kol.

"Oh, just Rebekah's delusional brother." I shook my head.

He gave a slight noise of distaste, but made no comment. As the dance finished and we bowed to each other, he surprised me.

"You look beautiful tonight, by the way."

"Oh," I didn't know how to respond. "I-uh…thank you."

He gave me small nod, before staring coldly at something just behind me and then turning to leave.

I then felt a hand on my arm, and I knew that the chase was over.

"You couldn't run from me forever," Kol smirked, self satisfied.

"Let's just get this over with," I sighed and we bowed as customary.

His hand fell easily on my waist, the other grasping my hand gently as I set my other on his shoulder.

"About earlier," He began.

"Don't you dare try to ruin your sister's night again." I threatened him just as a piano began to play.

"I was actually going to thank you," He looked almost hurt.

"Oh," I was surprised.

"As you may have noticed, public speaking is not my forte, as I tend to have very little 'filter' as my mother calls it." He began to lead when a violin joined in.

"You're welcome," I looked away. He actually sounded sincere.

"Caroline, this one is from Klaus," a singer spoke quietly into the microphone.

My head whipped over to Klaus and Caroline who were dancing together slowly. I was reminded that he wanted to have a "chat."

"Oh god, I'm sorry, really. I didn't know that he was going to do this. We can wait until the next song if you'd like." He apologized.

"No, this is fine. How bad can it be?" I shook my head.

Then the actual song began. It took me a few lines, but I soon realized that it was a cover of "A Thousand Years."

"Well this is a bit awkward, don't you think?" He asked as he spun me.

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward." We had fallen into a simple waltz.

"I suppose, though I don't think your friend over there is enjoying this." Kol gestured with his chin towards Stefan.

"He's not my friend." I said quickly.

"That's surprising; you seem awfully close to him." His signature smirk returned.

"Well we're not." I didn't want to delve into the matter any further.

"So how about that dinner you owe me?" He changed the subject.

"_I_ don't owe you anything." I countered.

"It's the least you could do after putting me through this ordeal and making me wait so long. I'm sure if it was any other person, you would have given them an answer immediately."

"If you keep bugging me about it, I'll make you wait longer." I teased him.

"Well that's not fair!" He pouted, his boyish appearance adding to the effect. "You're so awful to me. I go out of my way to try to be nice to you and this is how you repay me?"

"I don't think you're going too far out of your way tonight." I rolled my eyes. This song seemed to last forever.

"You haven't figured it out, have you?" His eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Figured what out?" I looked at him suspiciously.

"Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but you look absolutely breathtaking tonight." He smiled boyishly. "You better be careful, I think the sun and the moon are starting to become envious."

The blush rose to my cheeks before I could control it, but then I decoded his message. It was then that it all suddenly clicked. I gasped in surprise as he spun me. I was too distracted and was only stopped by his chest. My heart was thundering in my own and I hoped that he couldn't hear it because I could feel the blood pounding in my ears.

"It was you!" I looked up at him, my eyes wide with surprise.

"Had I known that you were going to look this stunning, I might have kept you for myself." He allowed me to stay close to him.

"But…why?" I didn't understand.

"Don't you ever tire of Rebekah upstaging you with her own attire?" He answered me with another question. "Surely you want to shine, too."

"Yes, but not tonight." I hissed. "This is her night."

"Of course it is," He agreed. "You're just the best dressed person here."

"But…" I couldn't even bring myself to ask him again.

"The necklace is on loan by the way," He glanced at Stefan again, almost as if making sure that he was still watching. "I'm sorry you can't keep it."

"No, it's fine." I shook my head. "I wasn't sure…"

"If you like the ring though, you can keep that." He pulled me closer. "Take it as a token of my apologies."

I glanced at the sparkling gem on my right hand. I absolutely adored that ring.

"Or," He continued. "As a sign of a truce. I think we could become good friends, don't you agree?"

I looked up at him, our eyes locking. I nodded slowly. "I don't see why not."

We stayed like that until the song ended, dancing slowly in circles, our eyes communicating silently.

"Seeing as we're friends now," He whispered as the song was over. "I think you owe me at least the honor of joining me for a lunch."

I sighed in defeat. "Kol, you start in a week, okay?"

His smirk widened into a pleased grin. "Excellent. You won't be disappointed."

"I better not be." I grumbled, gathering my dress in one hand as he led me out of the ballroom.

"By the way, I hope you know that I don't intend to let you leave my side for the remainder of the evening." He stopped to look at me, waiting for my response.

"Why?" I stared at him in horror. "I already told you what you wanted to hear."

"Because my sister is sufficiently upset that you've been fraternizing with a Salvatore." He gave me a rather stern, chastising look. "I don't have an issue with it, if you ask me it's a pointless old rivalry and no one even remembers how it started. Still, she wanted to speak with you. Something tells me that it won't go over very well, so if you wish to keep your head tonight, you should stay. She won't come anywhere near me for the rest of the night, I guarantee you that. I'll try my best to stay in line and not cause you any more troubles."

I was speechless. "How…kind…of you." I managed. Of course she was going to be upset about it. She probably _did_ buy into the whole family rivalry ordeal.

"Now come along, we have to appear _somewhat_ socialable, unfortunately." He pulled me along. We spent the rest of the night mingling with several guests and making polite conversation.

I took the opportunity to introduce him as the newest chair member of the troupe to several of the school department heads that had shown up for the event. Kol was quite pleased.

I spent my time avoiding Stefan, and he in turn spent it shielding me from his sister's interrogation. Surprisingly, we made a good pair.

By the end of the night I was completely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for three days.

He escorted me all the way to my car. "Are you sure you don't want one of the drivers to take you home?" He offered. "You can always pick up your car tomorrow."

"I'm fine, really." I waved him off.

"Or I could drive you home. I'll just have someone pick me up after." He touched my shoulder, a worried expression clouding his eyes.

"Or you could just stay…" I suggested quietly. It took a second for me to register what I had said. "Oh god, did I really just say that? I'm sorry. I've had…way too many drinks tonight. Maybe I should take you up on that driver."

He snorted, that smirk crossing his face. "Alright, get it." He took the key from me, unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for me."

"You don't have to do that." I tried feebly to stop him, but secretly wished that he wouldn't.

"Yeah, see the problem now is that I won't be able to rest until I know that you're safe in your own home." He got into the driver's side.

He stopped, his brow furrowing before he turned to look at me.

"How incompetent of me," He shook his head. "Why don't you just stay here? We have plenty of extra guest rooms. You can stay at my place if you want to avoid Rebekah."

"Why didn't we think of that earlier?" I turned to him.

Our eyes met and then we started to laugh, uncontrollable giggles filling the car.

"I suppose I'm not as sober as I thought I was," He chuckled. "It's a good thing I didn't drive."

He led me through the house and out the sliding glass doors in the back.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

He didn't stop until we had crossed the path to one of the smaller guesthouses in back of the property.

"I stay in one of the guesthouses." He opened the door for me. "I can't stand them all for more than twelve hours at a time. Day and night would be torture."

In order to entice their children to stay, Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson had ensured that their house had separate wings for each of their children. Each wing was outfitted with its own kitchen, separate entrance and private living areas, should they want to feel as though they lived separate from the rest of their family. As far as I was aware, all three of the older brothers had other properties elsewhere, but chose to live primarily at the Mikaelson estate. Kol however, decided that he needed a bit more space and had compromised for one of the smaller guesthouses.

"You sound as though you don't plan to stay for long." I casually mentioned as I stepped into the living room.

"Well, seeing as Mother has forbid me from leaving until I 'settle down,' I don't think that I'll be leaving again anytime soon." He sighed. "Unfortunately."

I followed him up a set of stairs and down a hallway. We passed what I thought was a perfectly cozy reading nook with two overstuffed armchairs and a bookcase on each end of a large window that overlooked the spacious private yard.

I didn't stop until we were passing what appeared to be an entertainment room.

"Whoa, whoa!" I stopped him. "You cannot just walk right past this."

"Past what?" He seemed a little annoyed.

I left him behind to examine the beautiful machine that stood in the center of the room.

"You get distracted by _this_?" He gestured to it, his eyebrows rising in amusement.

"I'm either really drunk," I nodded. "Or this is the greatest invention ever."

Even he had to chuckle now. "A karaoke machine? Really? That's your idea of the greatest invention ever?"

"Okay, so it might not be a pageant worthy answer," I shrugged innocently. "But you have to admit they're pretty great."

"Maybe so…" He picked up one of the wireless microphones. "But you'll have to convince me of it." There was a twinkle in his eye, a glint in his smile.

"Oh?" I grinned like a chesire cat. "Is that a challenge, Mr. Mikaelson?"

"Perhaps," He reached for the other mic, but I snatched it up before he could take it from me. "But let's get a few things straight first. For one thing, never _ever_ take me up on a challenge. I'm _extremely_ competitive. Also, I'll be winning anyway. And lastly, don't you ever call me Mr. Mikaelson _ever_ again."

"You're on," I narrowed my eyes in a challenge. "Though you might want to know that I don't lose. _Ever_."

"We'll see about that." He winked at me before turning the machine on.

When he left for a few minutes to retrieve my gym bag from my car as it had a set of sweats that I could change into, I surveyed the room. It wasn't a rec room at all, but actually a bedroom. There was a king sized bed against the opposite wall, and a large mirror that occupied the whole wall on the wall adjacent to it. The whole room was kept within a gray and white color scheme. In the daylight, it must've been pretty dark, but at night with the canned lights on and the lamps on the side tables on either side of the bed, it seemed, well quite welcoming. A door off to the side led into the ridiculously large en suite bathroom with a deep tub and a steam shower. Not at all shabby.

"Where did you go?" I heard him reenter the room.

"Sorry, just giving myself a little tour." I quickly stepped back into the bedroom.

"Drink?" He held up bottle of wine and two glasses in one hand.

"Sure," I nodded taking my bag from his other hand and unzipping it to pull out a pair of yoga pants and a tank top.

I had just stepped back into the bathroom, when I realized that I would have some trouble with the back of the dress. I undid as many of the tiny buttons as I could, but eventually I need to ask for assistance.

"Kol?" I went back to him. He was going to hand me a glass, when he observed my predicament.

He set the glass on the leather settee and pulled me closer. When he pulled me in rather roughly, I was completely thrown off to find that he was undoing the buttons in a very careful manner, almost as if they were delicate and would break if he worked carelessly.

I watched him in the full length mirror, his fingers nimbly moving the tiny buttons through the loops. When he finished, his hands travelled up my torso and straight to my neck. One hand touched the base of my throat, his fingers warm against my skin. His hand went up to clasp my neck, and for just a second…I feared.

Then I heard the tiny click of my necklace being unclasped and I breathed again. I turned to meet his gaze, his eyes held a perplexing expression. I couldn't tell if it was lust…or something far worse.

It was impossible for me to decide if I was suddenly incredibly turned on by it or if it was just the alcohol hitting me again.

"You keep a karaoke machine in your bedroom," I whispered. "That's kinda kinky."

"Just for you, darling." He winked at me.

My eyebrows went up in surprise. "Oh?"

"Go change before I'm tempted to tear that dress off of you." He pushed me towards the bathroom.

I gave a small knowing smile. "You wouldn't dare."

I ran back to the bathroom before he could catch me.

When I emerged, I found that he had wired the machine to connect to the giant flat screen TV on the wall. I picked up my glass of wine and sat cross legged on the bed.

He held a coin out to me, "I'll flip you for it."

"Heads," I told him and he flipped it.

"Tails," He grinned gleefully, showing me the coin once more.

"Damn it." I took a gulp of the wine before standing up. "What's in your inventory?"

"Oh, pretty much everything." He sat back on the bed, leaning casually on the bed, one arm behind his head, the other holding the glass of wine.

I was pleased to find the song that I was looking for.

"I'm going to sing you my theme song," I informed him.

"I'm waiting," He took a sip from the glass.

I pressed play. "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S," I sang to him.

Judging by the small amused smile on his face, he seemed to be enjoying my little performance.

"I'll be on the movie screens, magazines, and boogie scenes. I'm not clean, I'm not pristine. I'm no queen. I'm no machine." I winked at him.

He smirked at me through the whole song, only to step right in during the middle. I was thoroughly pleased.

"I'm talking champagne weaknesses, caviar dreams. You deserve nothing but all the fine amenities." He came over to me. "Now this whole world has no clue what to do with us, I've got enough money in the bank for the two of us. Plus I've gotta keep enough lettuce to support your shoe fetish," He looked down at my feet, smiling widely when he saw that I had chosen to remain in my spectacular shoes.

I shrugged innocently.

"Lifestyle so rich and famous, Robin Leach will get jealous." He was a surprisingly talented man. Of course I knew he could sing, but this was pretty unexpected.

By the end of the song I had been consumed by a fit of giggles.

"Alright, you've had enough." He took the glass from me.

"Oh no, it's your turn now." I pushed him away. "Unless you want to forfeit and therefore leave me the victory."

"Never," He turned to the iPod that he had docked and began to scroll through the songs.

"I'll play nicely and stay in the same genre." He selected a song.

"Is this _your_ theme song?" I sat on the edge of the bed, just out of his reach.

"Perhaps," He smiled devilishly.

"I can't wait." I crossed my legs and waited.

"All stead up in the club, just swaging doing my thing. Popping bottles with models and just watching them drink. Partying so hard, the ladies don't want it to end. They looked at me and said," His imitation of Akon was rather amusing.

"I heard that you're a heart breaker," I sang back to him.

"Baby, I'm a troublemaker." He replied and I burst out laughing.

In an attempt to get me to stop laughing, he approached me, kneeling on the settee before me. I just couldn't take him seriously. Here I had a boy from one of the most prestigious families in the world, and I was just laughing my head off. What would his mother think? Surely she'd pitch a fit.

I was able to compose myself long enough to finish the song with him, but not long after my laughter resumed.

"What the hell is so funny?" He chuckled with me.

"Nothing," I managed between fits. "It's just…I keep…picturing your mother's face."

He shot me a look of 'oh please.'

"Seriously!" I nodded vigorously. "Can't you just imagine the look on her face?"

He shook his head in bemusement. "You have a very bizarre sense of humor."

Kol climbed onto the other side of the bed, switching the television to the satellite in the process. He left it on the current channel; the travel channel was broadcasting a show about Europe.

"Oh leave it!" I stopped him before he could change it.

He grimaced.

We didn't say much as I leaned into the pillows. He stared at the screen, almost as though he was hypnotized.

"Do you miss it?" I asked him quietly.

"Only sometimes," He replied, sighing a little.

"I bet it's wonderful." I watched him for any signs of mood change.

"Only sometimes." He repeated.

"Will you tell me about Paris?" I turned the rest of myself to face him.

He glanced down at me. "Haven't you been?"

I shook my head. "No, but I'd like to go someday."

"It isn't as great you might think it is." His voice was rather grim, almost bitter.

"Tell me about it anyway." I insisted.

So he did. He told me about the warm, sunny days, the tranquility of Monet's lily pond, the breathtaking architecture, the lazy little flea markets and the way one never tired of the city.

He had closed his eyes, and the ghost of a smile crossed his lips as he ventured into descriptions of the people.

"Who did you leave behind?" I interrupted quietly.

He sighed a long and tired sigh. "No one."

I was almost afraid to ask, terrified to know the answer. "Did you love her?"

"Never again." He looked away from me.

"I'm sorry." I rolled back onto my back.

"Don't be." His voice was flat, emotionless. And I wondered what had made him so bitter about love.

I don't remember pulling down the covers and falling asleep, but I awoke to sunlight streaming softly through the partially opened shutters. I sat up to find that I was alone, the other side of the bed had been made up…or perhaps it had been left untouched.

I got out of bed and stretched before going to the bathroom to wash my face. My hair was a mess, so undid what was left from the previous night and pulled it back into a pony tail. I pulled on the pair of Nike's that I had in my gym back and went downstairs.

It was in the kitchen that I found him, the TV blaring on some Sunday morning news show as he moved something around in a frying pan.

"Good morning," I announced my presence gently so as to not startle him.

He looked up at me in surprise, "I find _good_ morning controversial. But for today, sure, good morning."

I smiled; he seemed in a much better mood now.

"No headache? I'm surprised." He commented, a small smile playing across his lips.

"No, no, I've got a headache that could very well drive me back to bed the second I get home." I shook my head. "I just decided that it would be polite to grace you with my presence in the hopes that you had some sort of cure for it."

"Last cabinet on the left, middle shelf." He directed me towards the cabinet that held a bottle of Advil.

"My savior." I reached for the bottle and promptly removed two.

He handed me a glass of orange juice, and I quickly took them.

"Are you hungry?" He set two plates on the table in the breakfast nook in front of the counter.

"Ravenous," I sat down with him.

"There's coffee brewing as we speak, if you would like a cup." He went to pull a mug from one of the cabinets.

"I'm good." I held up my tumbler of juice. "But thanks."

Breakfast was quiet enough. He asked about how things at the school were, and I gave him some more details about his upcoming job.

I was helping him clean up, when we heard the front door open and then slam shut.

My head snapped over in his direction, his face displaying obvious worry.

"I know you're here," Rebekah called. "You can't hide from me forever, you know."

"Shit." I closed my eyes and waited.

"Here you are," I heard her footsteps as she entered the kitchen. "What, I wasn't invited to the slumber party?"

"She didn't stay the night," Kol lied for me.

"Mm, nice try, but her car hasn't moved an inch since last night." She smiled him.

"You," She turned back to me, her eyes blazing. "Care to explain why you've been fraternizing with a _Salvatore_?"

"Not really?" I tried.

"Very funny," She made an annoyed face. "But I'm not particularly in a humorous mood this morning, no thanks to the glaring headache caused by the two of you! I've got an incompetent brother and a scandalous Maid of Honor. What a pair!"

"Oh Bekah," Kol tried to distract her. "Don't be so overly dramatic."

"I'll stop being over dramatic when _someone_ tells me _why_ my Maid of Honor has a history with a _Salvatore_." She spat the last word like it was something foul.

"It's a _really_ long story, Rebekah." I shook my head. "Don't think you want to hear it."

"So give me the spark notes version." She crossed her arms. "I'm waiting."

"I can't." I wasn't going to tell her the whole story.

"And why not?" She glared at me.

"It's just…" I searched for the right words. "It's complicated."

"Oh my god, you've hooked up with him, haven't you?" She accused, her eyes wide. "I can't believe it! Miss Sara Vallejo, a high end whore for a Salvatore."

"Don't call her that," Kol stepped in.

"Bekah, I really can't explain it all, okay?" I tried to calm her to no avail.

"You're being ridiculous!" She growled. "What do you have to hide?"

"Nothing!" I was starting to panic, tears springing to my eyes.

"Then explain yourself." Her eyes were filled with anger and frustration.

"I've known him for a long time, okay?" I threw my hands up in defeat. "I only recently saw him again, but things didn't work out. Seeing him again was painful enough, I don't need your drama to add to it. Yes, we have a history. No, I don't wish to put it on public display. Forgive me for not wanting to share every little detail about my personal life with you."

With that, I stormed out with my phone and keys in my hand. I could come back for the rest later. I ignored her calls after me and didn't stop until I had started the engine. I was absolutely furious, hot tears streaming angrily down my cheeks. I cried because I had to lie. I cried because I didn't have Stefan. I cried because I was just plain mad.

I pressed the ignore button several times on my steering wheel as Kol tried futilely to reach me. It only made me cry harder to think that he was still not over the girl that he had left behind in Paris.

My apartment was desolate, even with an overjoyed Sondheim. All I wanted to do was curl into a ball and block out any sort of thought that remotely involved the Salvatores. I found that Kol had left a voicemail and pressed 'play' as I set it into the dock.

"Hey, It's um…Kol." He began. "I'm sorry for Rebekah's behavior. Really. She shouldn't have pressured you like that. She's sorry, too."

I sniffled. "No, she isn't." I spoke to an empty apartment.

"Anyway…you left your things here. I can return them to you, if you'd like. Just uh…give me a call…if you want me to take them to you…or if you need anything." Then the message was over.

I sighed and climbed into bed. I didn't want to deal with the world today. Or ever again if I could help it. Unfortunately, I would find later, it could not be avoided.

**A/N: **Wow that was a loooooong chapter. Please review and thank you for reading! More Mikaelsons in the next chapter!

Also, **Darren Fell-Mikaelson** is to be portrayed by Matt Bomer.


	17. Give Your Heart a Break

Still Around

Chapter 17: Give Your Heart a Break

**A/N: **I'm starting to really love doing this.

** Disclaimer: **I don't own _Give Your Heart a Break_ by Demi Lovato, but I highly recommend you listen to the Glee cover when you reach that part as it _is_ a duet. I also don't own the Vampire Diaries. I know. Sad life for me.

**Sara's POV**

Somehow, by some act of God, I actually managed to avoid the world until Friday. I had turned off my phone, and shut off my laptop. If I was _really_ needed, I could be reached, by the important few that had the number, on my landline. I spent my week peacefully, meditating, finally getting some reading done, and tuning out the rest of the world.

My parents _did_ call in, thankfully, to make sure that I was alive. I reassured them that I was, telling them that I just needed some time to reevaluate my current situation. They had been kind enough to leave me to myself.

I received a phone call from Darren Mikaelson on Thursday night to ensure that I wasn't going to bail on them. I told him not to worry, that I would be there on Friday. He asked if it wasn't too much trouble if I arrived around six o'clock. I was actually looking forward to seeing the girls again. I hadn't seen them since their last birthday party in June, so I was sure that they had done some considerable growing since then.

My Friday was spent generally running errands, grocery shopping, dry cleaners, etc. I also picked up a few things that I thought the girls would enjoy, coloring books, a few Disney movies and other games. I had only been home for a few minutes when I heard a soft knock on the door.

"I'll be right there!" I called and closed the refrigerator where I had been putting things away.

I opened the door to find Alyssa standing on my doorstep, backpack and all.

"Alyssa," I was confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Good, you're alive." She threw her arms around me.

"Uh…yeah…" I nodded, patting her head. "Why are you here?"

"You weren't at school all week." She looked up at me, her eyes wide with worry. "And you didn't answer any of my calls. They all went straight to voicemail."

"I needed a break for a few days." I told her as she pushed me aside to come in.

"From everybody?" She tossed her backpack onto the floor and flopped onto my couch.

"From the world," I muttered closing the door. "Does your dad know you're here?"

"Uh…not exactly." She smiled sheepishly. "I may have told him that I was staying afterschool to work on something. I took the bus here."

"You what?" I squawked. "Your father is going to kill me!"

"He hasn't minded when I've come home with you before." She countered. "Besides, he can only kill you if you're alive. Which I was checking to make sure of…"

"I'm calling your dad, right now." I shook my head.

"Can I watch TV?" She called after me as I went into my bedroom to retrieve my phone. It took a minute to turn it back on, but eventually I was able to make the call after waiting for _several_ voicemails and text messages to come through.

The call rang a few times before he picked up.

"Hello?" He sounded pretty confused.

"Are you aware that your daughter knows the public transportation route to my apartment, and is subsequently sitting in my living room right now?" I got straight to the point.

"She told me she was staying afterschool to work on a project!" Shock was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, well apparently not." I grimaced. "Just thought you might like to know her whereabouts."

"I'm sorry," He apologized. "Do you need me to go pick her up? I've got a class in a few minutes, but I'll be out at like five thirty and I can go pick her up right after."

"No, don't worry about it. I'll take her home later." I glanced out into my living room to find Alyssa channel surfing.

"Are you sure?" He sounded worried. "I don't want to inconvenience you."

"I'm actually heading in your direction around five thirty-ish, so I can just drop her off on my way there."

"Okay, Stefan should be home, so she'll be fine." I grimaced even more at the thought of Stefan.

"Sure." I managed.

"Alright, thanks. And I'll deal with her when I get home." He informed me.

"I figured as much." I nodded to myself. "Just…don't be too hard on her. She was just a little worried."

"Ah, I don't really know how to discipline her anyway." Damon laughed dryly. "She's always been a pretty good kid."

"Yeah…" I pressed my lips together. I really couldn't blame her.

We agreed one last time that I would drop her off before hanging up.

"Am I gonna get it when I get home?" She didn't even turn to look at me.

"Eh, I don't think it'll be anything too terrible." I shook my head as I sat down next to her.

She let out a rather disappointed sigh. "Darn it." She mumbled quietly.

"Oh?" I looked at her, rather dismayed. "Why the disappointment? You've never been one to look for trouble, why now?"

She shrugged.

"What's going on?" I nudged her gently.

It took her a few seconds to answer, but finally she did. "Mom and Dad have been fighting." She said quietly. "A lot."

So that's what this was about. I realized that I probably hadn't been as available to her since the whole Griffin ordeal as I had been before, and that she, whether I liked it or not, needed me.  
>"I-I didn't know," I didn't exactly like to keep up with the dynamics of the Salvatore household. "Lys, I'm sorry. I should have been…well, here for you."<p>

She shrugged. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

I felt horrible. She had probably wanted to tell me, to talk to somebody for a long time and I had pushed her aside.

"I had no idea, Lys. I'm sorry," I wrapped an arm around her. "Next time, just stop me, shake me, yell at me or something."

"Sometimes I think that my parents are going to get a divorce." She looked down at her shoes.

It struck me then, just how bad things had gotten in just a matter of weeks. Rose and Damon had always quarreled, that was nothing new. I never imagined that it would escalate to this point. After all, he had once been willing to give up everything for her.

"Alyssa…" I let out a breath, choosing my words carefully. "Your parents love you, no matter what. Even if they were to get a divorce…and I'm not saying that they will, just know that it isn't your fault, okay? You had nothing to do with it. You can't blame yourself for it."

Tears streaming down her cheeks caught the sunlight streaming through the window. I hurriedly extracted tissues from the box on the coffee table and used them to wipe her tears.

"Don't cry, hon. Remember, no tears?" I held her face I dried her tears.

"You said 'never let 'em see you cry,'" She hiccupped. "But I'm not letting _them_ see me cry. So it's okay, right?"

I sighed. I could have given her some uplifting speech, a pep talk, a motivational quote, but instead I let her cry, because sometimes it's the only thing that helped. I held her as she sobbed into my shoulder, quiet little squeaky sobs. And I thought of my oh so brilliant advice and the person that gave that same advice to me. I thought of how I had grown up living by it.

Somebody that I used to know once gave me an interesting piece of advice after failing to make call backs for the fifth grade musical. I wanted to start sobbing the second I didn't see my name on the list, but instead he pulled me away and told me to never let them see me cry. It wasn't worth my tears. To this day I still waited to cry until I had removed myself from that situation. I wondered if he still did, especially now. I wondered how he was coping now that his marriage was falling apart.

"Please don't tell them about this," She whispered, her head resting on my shoulder. "I don't want to give them another reason to fight."

I stroked her hair gently. "I won't tell them, I promise."

I didn't want to lie to her, but I still felt like Damon had a right to know. Maybe it was because I still felt like I had to answer to him, I felt as though I owed him, but a part of me desperately wanted to run to tell him. I knew, however, that if I did, I would lose Alyssa's trust, and I had to decide what I valued more, his trust or hers.

She just wanted to be held, so I held her. We stayed there for the better part of an hour until she finally sat up and demanded food. She ravaged my kitchen and then returned to the couch.

"You know, I've been needing a girls' day," I nudged her. "How about you and I hit the town tomorrow?"

"The town?" She looked at me strangely. "You _do_ know that I'm not anywhere near old enough to go clubbing or whatever it is that old people do."

"Old people? Who are you calling old?" I gave her an indignant look. "Keep that up and you won't be going anywhere, missy."

She didn't blink.

"You know what I mean." I gave her a little push on the shoulder. "We'll go shopping, maybe go to the nail salon, the spa, girly stuff."

Her brow furrowed. "Don't know if you've noticed…but I'm not exactly the shopping type."

"Sure you are! You're a girl, aren't you?" I stared at her seriously.

She shrugged. "I dunno… It sounds…weird."

"Oh, come on Alyssa!" I took her hands. "Don't be such a party pooper! Don't you ever go shopping with your mom?

"No." She replied almost immediately with an almost bitter vigor.

I pressed my lips together. "Well…there's a first time for everything."

She gave me a look as though saying, in a sarcastic manner, 'please, tell me more.' It was oddly familiar, though I couldn't quite place it.

"Alright, well you can either stay home, a lone, lonely, loner," I decided to take the more dramatic approach. "That's a lot of aloneness." I whispered. "Or, you can join me in a little retail therapy to sooth the wounds from this cruel world that we live in."

She grimaced. "Just don't wake me up early."

"There's my favorite preteen!" I clapped my hands together in joy. "Don't worry, you'll love it."

It was five thirty on the dot when I pulled into the driveway of the Salvatore house.

"I want to make sure that someone is home to stay with you," I told her as I shifted into park.

She nodded as she pulled on her backpack. I followed her up the steps and into the house. The two quick beeps of the alarm system should have alerted anyone in the house that someone had entered.

"Hello?" Alyssa called.

It took about a minute, but Stefan appeared from the hallway to the back wing.

"Hey," He stopped at a safe distance.

"Hey," I echoed, unable to meet his gaze.

"Am I missing something?" Alyssa cut through the tension innocently.

"No," We chorused, heads shaking. She didn't need to know. It would just be another issue to add to her list of problems.

"I…uh…I'll pick you up around eleven tomorrow, okay?" I told her, giving her shoulder a squeeze before turning to leave.

I was just about to open the door to my car when he stopped me.

"Wait," He touched my arm before I could go.

I turned to look at him, our eyes meeting for the first time in a while.

"I was wondering…if maybe we could…talk…sometime." His brow furrowed in thought, one hand moving to clasp the back of his neck nervously.

"Stefan," I sighed. I didn't know how to feel right now. "I don't know if that's such a great idea…"

"Please?" He tried. How could I say no when he was begging me with those painful green eyes of his? "I really _do_ miss you."

I closed my eyes and hoped that I wouldn't regret it. "Alright, fine. But not tonight, I already have plans."

"Okay," He nodded slowly. "We can take this slowly."

I nodded in agreement. "Slowly."

I agreed to join him for dinner the following night, on the condition that he not bring up the Mikaelsons. He said it was a deal.

I arrived right on time at the Mikaelson Manor, pulling into the driveway on Elijah's wing just before six. I stole a glance at the first guesthouse on the left, noting its lack of lights, before going up the tidy front steps and ringing the doorbell.

The sounds of screaming children were audible before Darren's voice came. "Come in, the door's open!"

Cautiously, I pushed the door open, wondering if it was too late to run. The doorway expanded into an open hallway, a large living room to the right with two steps leading down into it. They were in the kitchen that opened into said living room. I loved the open floor plan for their wing. It was all so welcoming.

"Good, you're here!" He strode toward me with surprising ease, considering that there was a little girl attached to each of his legs. "Girls, say hello," He shook each leg individually.

They looked up at him questioningly before detaching themselves and running over to me and resuming their previous posts on my own legs.

"Hello," They grinned up at me, their brown hair pulled up into pigtails, big brown eyes shining brightly.

"Hi girls," I patted each one on the head.

"You have no idea how much we've been looking forward to this." Darren gave me a hug in greeting.

"I can imagine." I nodded. "Will they do this all night?" I asked apprehensively.

"They should let go shortly," He reassured me.

"Oh goodness, girls don't abuse Sara, please!" Elijah appeared from a hallway beyond the kitchen. He, too, came over to greet me and then promptly detached his children from my legs, rendering me mobile once more.

"Papa," Lilah turned to her father curiously. "Where are you and Daddy going?"

"Out," He smiled at her.

"Why?" Leah asked from his other arm.

"Because sometimes…Daddy and Papa need grown up time." He explained as simply as possible.

"Yes, away from two little monkeys," Darren took Leah from Elijah.

Leah's brow furrowed. "But we're not monkeys, we're little girls."

Elijah's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Daddy never said Leah and Lilah. He said 'two little monkeys.' That doesn't mean it's you."

Leah didn't look amused.

"Sometimes you call us monkeys." Lilah pointed out.

"That," Elijah nodded, feigning seriousness. "Is a true statement, Monkey."

"Why don't you two go grab your dance bag while Papa and I tell Sara what's going to happen tonight?" Darren lowered Leah on the floor.

"Daddy, what _is_ going to happen?" Lilah asked a little worriedly as Elijah set her down.

"Grown up things." He sent her on her way with the kind of minimal answer that only a parent could give.

My jaw dropped. "Please don't tell me about the 'grown up things,'" I begged as they turned to me. "Seriously, I don't need to know. What happens once you leave that door is all up to you. Just…don't…don't feel the need to tell me." I shook my head furiously.

They both stared at me rather amusedly, chuckling to one another. I then realized that they hadn't meant that at all.

"This isn't funny." I stamped my foot.

"She just stamped her foot!" Darren roared with laughter as he pointed to my feet.

"If you want to know that badly, all you have to do is ask." Elijah stated. His straight face was barely kept.

Darren had gone silent with laughter, hands clutching his sides.

I made a face at them. "You're made for each other. What a sick sense of humor."

"What we meant," Elijah had to take a breath to compose himself.

"Is the schedule for the girls." Darren took a few deep breaths.

I waited and they exchanged a look.

"Fine, get one last laugh in," I threw my hands up in defeat. They seized the opportunity to guffaw at my expense.

"Alright, alright, we've had enough." Elijah held up a hand, still chuckling slightly.

"Okay," Darren agreed nodding. "So they will come to you in eh…about fifteen minutes complaining of starvation. They eat everything, don't worry about what to make."

"And then at seven thirty they have dance class at the Curtain Call studio, just a few minutes from here," Elijah continued for him.

"Yeah, I've heard of it." I nodded taking mental notes.

"Don't worry about not finding it; they know where it's at." He explained.

"Class ends at eight, but we were wondering if we could pick them up from your place around nine-ish?" Darren asked. "The studio is closer to where you live and we can stop on the way back, that way you don't have to come all the way back and then drive home again."

"Okay, yeah, that's fine." I agreed to it. "I'm a little surprised, though. I thought you'd be staying out later."

They exchanged a look as the sounds of little footsteps were heard running back down the hallway.

"We didn't think you'd want to…" Elijah began slowly.

I gritted my teeth as the back of my legs were hit full force by two mini linebackers.

"I was going to say incoming, but…too late…" Darren gave me a somewhat apologetic look.

"My rates go up after midnight." I deadpanned.

"Excellent, 11:59 it is!" Darren grinned gleefully.

I looked at them in astonishment.

"He's just kidding. We find it hard to even stay up past ten nowadays, it'll probably be closer to ten." Elijah reassured me.

We waved goodbye to them through the big window in the living room.

"Bye Daddy, bye Papa!" The girls called to them as they had just a few seconds prior.

Elijah and Darren both waved before getting into Elijah's dark gray Porsche Cayenne.

"Good luck," Elijah mouthed to me before rolling up the window. I sent him a thumb up in reassurance.

"Where are they going?" Leah tugged on the leg of jeans.

"Oh, probably to dinner." I told her, taking into consideration that they both had on their signature suits.

"Why?" Lilah provided the other impending question.

"Because it's dinnertime. Aren't you hungry?" I asked her for a change.

She shook her head. "Not yet. Can we play Pretty Princess?"

I had no idea what that entailed, but I agreed to it. Judging by their squeals of joy, it was something that they loved. I didn't give it a second thought until they returned with what appeared to be…a makeup case.

"We're going to make you a Pretty Princess." Leah placed the box beside me and opened it to reveal an assortment of play make up. I inspected its contents while Lilah opened the other one. I was quite relieved to find that it was all derived from fruits and other easily washable ingredients.

I sat as motionless as possible on the couch while they used me as their life sized doll. I tried not to make a face as Leah smeared some sort of strawberry flavored goo on my lips.

"You look pretty," She reassured me as she rubbed it in.

My future was starting to look grimmer as Lilah pulled out the eye shadow. I couldn't hold back my grimace as she went for the bright purple shade. Just as she was about to come at me, a voice interrupted.

"Knock, knock," The voice that travelled down the hallway was definitely male. "Is anybody home?"

The girls ran to him the second he appeared in the doorway. "Uncle Kol!" They squealed as they left hurriedly, makeup still in hand.

"Hey, you two!" He got down to their height on his knees to embrace them. "How are my two favorite girls today?"

"Fine," They each gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Did you come to play piano with us today?"

"Actually, I was looking for your Papa, but if you want me to, I will." He was surprisingly patient with them.

"Elijah's not here. He and Darren went out." I told him as I stepped onto the walkway.

"And they left you in charge? How unfortunate." He teased, signature smirk crossing his lips.

"What're you doing here?" I asked him as the girls began to use him as their human jungle gym.

"I live here," He stood, one girl hanging from each arm as he walked over to me.

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean."

"You first," He came close enough that I could smell the Listerine on his breath. "Why have you been avoiding all of my calls?"

I was about to answer, momentarily distracted by his soft looking lips, when I was reminded that I had asked him first. "I asked you first," I pointed out.

"I was looking for Elijah; he wanted me to bring him these documents, and the latest sheet music that he ordered from me." Kol held up a manila folder and a yellow sealed envelope. "You had me worried. I was going to send file a missing person's report."

I snorted. "Hardly. I just needed a break from people for a few days."

"So you cut out everyone from your life for a week?" He crossed his arms now, the girls moving to hang from his well-defined biceps. Their giggles were the only sound made as his gaze bore into me.

"Y-yes." I stuttered, barely managing an answer as I turned my face away to avoid his stare.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he lowered his arms to put the girls down. One of his now free hands closed gently around my chin as he turned me back towards him.

"Well don't do it again." His voice was quiet, tender, yet almost menacing. He held my gaze for just a second longer before letting me go.

I nodded slowly. There was just something about him that made me want to…please him. I didn't want him to be mad at me.

"Good, now cheer up. You're so much prettier when you smile." He tapped the bottom of my chin before turning back to the girls who were tugging furiously at his black slacks.

"Uncle Ko-ol," They whined in protest. "We're starving."

One of them stepped on his shoe in the process, causing him to howl out and inform them how expensive said shoe was.

"Seriously?" I looked at them. "I just asked you two minutes ago if you were hungry and you said no. Suddenly Uncle Kol shows up and you're starving."

I shook my head in disbelief. Little brats. I was beginning to understand what Elijah and Darren meant.

"Figures," Kol snorted as he scooped them up away from his shoes. "What do you say if we order a pizza?"

"Yes!" They cried. "Cheese please!"

"Alright, alright, we'll order a cheese pizza." He nodded and reached into his right pocket to pull out his phone.

Lilah reached for me and I took her as he made the phone call.

"I like meat on mine, is that alright with you?" He asked me as he waited for them to pick up.

"That's fine," I waved.

I watched him as he placed an order for delivery, Leah toying with the loosened tie around his neck. I had never seen him dressed this way. I'd only ever seen him casually dressed or in formal attire. He looked…well, good.

"Why so dressed up?" I asked him as he hung up.

He had to look down, as if he had forgotten what he was wearing. "Oh, I just came from the office. If I had it my way, I'd dress the way that I always do, but since I occasionally have to handle deals and other meetings, they insist that I dress 'appropriately'." He made air quotes. "But I refuse to be Elijah and parade around in some ridiculous suit all the time."

"It suits you," I nodded. "But however will you juggle two jobs?" I took the opportunity to tease him.

"Trying to get rid of me already?" His eyebrows went up in amusement.

"Perhaps," I winked as I took Lilah back to the living room with me.

He followed suit, trying to pull his tie away from Leah as she tugged on the silken gray material.

"Ow Lilah, you're going to choke me," He pulled her hands from his neck.

"I'm not Lilah, I'm Leah!" She protested loudly, earning him a kick in the ribs for his mistake.

He hissed as her tiny foot made contact with his side. "My apologies, Leah. Can we not abuse Uncle Kol?"

"Sorry," She nuzzled his cheek as settled onto the couch beside me.

"Remind me to tell Elijah that this one would make an excellent football player." He grumbled to me.

"Uncle Kol," Lilah hopped onto his lap. "When will the pizza be here?"

"In about twenty minutes," He told her.

"Awww," They both cried. "That's too far away."

"I'm sorry," He shook his head. "I can't make them go any faster."

It was amusing to watch him interact with them. He was so patient, yet they obviously frustrated him with the constant stream of questions that they threw at him.

He reached his breaking point when they began to ask _but why_ the pizza had to be round, _why_ it always had to have cheese on it, and when they were unsatisfied with his answers.

"Girls, I just don't know, alright?" He finally gave up trying to field their questions.

"Why not?" Leah asked, her large brown eyes staring up at him innocently.

He sent me a look of distress. I shook my head and poked my tongue out at him. They were _his_ nieces.

"Didn't you two want to play piano?" He distracted them. "Let's go play on the piano."

I nodded encouragingly as he took them. I cleaned up after them as he took them away. I wanted to leave the place as tidy as possible before we left so that I wouldn't have to scramble around at the last minute. I laid Kol's tie that he had removed to save himself from strangulation, on the arm rest so that he wouldn't forget it, and I placed the girls' makeup chests on the sofa.

After ensuring that everything was in order, I followed the sound down the hallway to find Kol at the bench of a grand piano, a twin on either side of him. He was playing a familiar melody that I couldn't place.

"No, Uncle Kol," A little hand came down on his fingers to stop him. "You can't do that one."

"Why not?" He looked Lilah incredulously. "I thought this was your favorite."

"It is," Leah piped up. "But it's a girl song. Sara can sing it though," She held her hand out to me.

"Well," Kol huffed, feigning offense.

Leah slid from the stool to make room for me, and Lilah hopped off of the other end.

"Can't you both sing it?" Lilah begged as they pushed us closer together on the bench.

"It isn't a duet, Lilah," Kol pointed out to her.

"Yes it is." Leah countered. "You showed us both parts."

I looked at him questioningly.

"Please?" They begged, jumping up and down.

"Fine," He grumbled, opening the manila folder that he had brought with him. "I arranged this song for them because it's their favorite one on the radio. You can't imagine the screams when I made the mistake of changing the station. It just so happens that I arranged it into a duet."

He began to play the first few chords, nudging me to take the treble part. I took a breath before reading what was before me. I smiled a little as I took in the words.

"The day I first met you, you told me you'd never fall in love," I sang. "But now that I get you, I know fear is what it really was."

He was a talented accompanist. I never would have pegged him as one; he struck me as simply a solo player.

"When will you realize," I turned to him, only to find that he was already looking at me. "That baby, I'm not like the rest!"

Both girls gave gasps as he joined me for the chorus. "Don't wanna break your heart; wanna give your heart a break. I know you're scared it's wrong, like you might make a mistake. There's just one life to live, and there's no time to wait, to waste. So let me give your heart a break,"

"Give your heart a break," His voice was clear, and rang throughout the room.

"Let me give your heart a break." I echoed him.

"Your heart a break," He returned to the music to turn the page.

He was, for lack of a better word, brilliant. I found that I was actually excited to begin working with him.

"On Sunday you went home alone, there were tears in your eyes," He turned cautiously back to me. "I called your cell phone, my love," He leaned in closely. I could feel his breath warm on my lips. "But you did not reply."

"The world is ours. If we want it, we can take it." I had to sing again for fear of swooning if I didn't. "If you just take my hand," He gave me a line to myself.

"Baby, try to understand," We returned to the chorus. "Don't wanna break your heart; wanna give your heart a break."

I had never experienced anything so magical before. It just…fit.

"Your heart a break," He sang with a passion that I had never witnessed before.

"There's just so much you can take," I added.

"Give your heart a break," Kol continued at full speed as he turned pages, the girls utterly in awe.

"Oh yeah, yeah," I embellished as we shifted into a softer part. "When your lips are on my lips," This time I leaned closer to him.

"In a heart's beat it's won," We sang together, our lips only just far enough to accomplish that. He turned away slightly. I wasn't sure if it was to tease me or if he really didn't want to.

"But you slip out of my fingertips," I turned fully away from him.

"Every time you run!" We hit the last chorus with full force.

"Whoa-ooh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-ah-oh!" I vamped as he took over the chorus. The harmonies we created were astonishing even to me.

His voice rang clear and contrasting against mine and I loved it. "So let me give your heart a break."

"Cause you've been hurt before, I can see it in your eyes. You try to smile it away something you can't disguise." It was brilliant as he sang the chorus against me.

"Don't wanna break your heart, maybe I can ease the ache, the ache!" The acoustics of the room did wonders for the fortissimos of two big singers.

"So let me give your heart a break," The last chorus was utterly perfect. We were…perfect. "Your heart a break, oh yeah, yeah." We finished much softer, the final chord lingering in the air.

There was a stunned silence from all of us for just a moment. I don't either of us knew we were capable of that.

"That was totally wicked!" Lilah screamed.

"Again!" Leah demanded.

"I-uh…" Kol, for once in his life, was at loss for words.

We hadn't turned away from each other. I waited for him.

"Are you going to kiss me or not?" I asked him quietly as the girls continued their demands loudly. They couldn't have heard me over their own voices.

"Would you might terribly if I did so right now?" He asked, averting his eyes bashfully.

"No," I looked him right in the eyes as I answered.

"Good." He caught me only slightly off guard as he took my face in his hands, pressing his lips to mine. They were just as I expected, soft and warm with a minty flavor.

"When you get married, can we be in the wedding?" Lilah somehow managed to squeeze her way into the middle, so we parted.

"Yeah, we missed Papa and Daddy's wedding." Leah crossed her arms in disappointment.

"You weren't born yet," Kol gave her a funny look.

"So?" She stood on the tips of her toes to get right in his face.

"So you couldn't have gone anyway," Kol pulled away.

"But we want to go to yours," They tugged at his rolled up sleeves, pulling them back down to his wrists.

"Nobody said anything," He rolled them back up. "About a wedding."

"Awwwww!" They began to whine loudly. "Pleeeease?" They begged.

He made a noise of exasperation. "Sure." He finally decided to just give up.

"Not you," Leah half glared at him. "You don't get to decide who's in it."

"I don't?" He cocked his head confusedly.

"No," Lilah shook her head in agreement. "The _bride_ does, duh!"

"Can we be in your wedding?" Leah looked at me quite seriously.

Kol's reaction was priceless. "Unbelievable!" He squawked. "I'm not even engaged and I already don't get a say in my own wedding!"

I shrugged. "It happens."

Just then, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of their long awaited pizza.

"I'll get that," Kol jumped up and nearly ran for the door. The girls followed right behind him, eager to get their dinner.

I made sure to wash their hands before they even got near any food. Dinner was definitely a team effort to get them to sit down and actually eat rather than spend their time chattering away. Neither Kol nor I were able to get a conversational word in.

"Can I have a bite?" Leah popped up next to Kol.

"Of mine?" He leaned away slightly. She nodded. "But you have your own."

"I wanna try yours." Her tiny tomato stained hand enclosed around his arm, leaving little red finger prints where her fingers were on his white shirt.

He sighed and offered her his slice. She eagerly took a bite before returning to her seat to finish her own slice.

"Kol," I nudged him with my foot under the table.

He turned to me, and I pointed to his sleeve. He made a face.

"God, Leah," He grumbled.

"It'll come out," I told him. "Just make sure to have them spot it at the dry cleaners."

Kol shook his head. "Remind me never to have children."

"Or just not to wear white around them." I nodded.

After dinner I washed their hands again and changed them into their dance clothes while Kol went to his house to change.

Leah squirmed in my lap as I pulled her hair into the customary bun when he returned. Lilah went over to him, holding her arms up to him. He scooped her up and told her that she looked like quite the ballerina. His jeans, red converse, washed out gray concert t-shirt and dark blue hoodie suited him much better than his previous attire.

"What about me, Uncle Kol?" Leah demanded as I released her.

"Yes, you too." He picked her up, too.

I double checked their duffel bags to make sure that everything that they would need for the rest of the night was packed. Luckily, Elijah and Darren had already done that for me.

"Alrighty, I think we're ready to go." I turned to them. I carried the bags out to my trunk as he strapped them into their car seats in the backseat of my car.

He was about to go when they began to protest loudly. "No! Uncle Kol don't go!"

"Do you mind if I come along?" He asked, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie.

I shook my head. How could I say no?

He held his hand out for the keys, and I handed them to him as I went back to lock the door to the house. The girls knew the way to the studio, so the proudly navigated for him. They also led us to the room where their class was held, a bunch of other little girls around their age already clustered on the center of the floor.

They changed their shoes before going to join them, handing Kol their pink sneakers as I slipped on their flats. They each deposited their jackets in his arms as they left. "Okay, have fun!" I sent them on their way. "We'll be here when you finish."

"I feel like a pack mule." Kol complained as he zipped and folded the tiny hoodies.

"Get used to it," I rolled my eyes. He had very little hope of ever being a parent.

We took two seats in an area with chairs for the parents to wait in and watch from afar. I hoped there weren't any aggressive moms just waiting to brag about their child.

"I feel like I'm being watched." Kol leaned over and whispered to me.

I looked up from my phone to find that sure enough, a congregation of moms had arrived and were focusing their attention on the lone male in the room.

"They're undressing you with their eyes," I whispered back.

He turned to look at me, terror in his eyes. It elicited a small chuckle from me.

Then we were bombarded. It was like a pack of wild animals had descended upon us, and we were the prey.

"So, are you new here?" A woman with short blonde hair and a pear shaped figure shot into the seat beside me. "I'm Sheila, by the way."

I didn't even know how to respond, as a different one came over on Kol's side.

"The twins are yours, aren't they?" This one was a much larger woman with mousy brown hair pulled into a ponytail. "Hi, I'm Leslie."

"Y-yes." Kol looked at her strangely from the corner of his eye, moving closer towards me to get away from her.

"Yeah, they look like you." A different one sitting in front of us commented as she examined her long acrylic nails before glancing at him again.

A few other ones gave me the once over and I felt, well…dirty.

"Aren't you two a little young to have four year olds?" They questioned.

"Must've been a teen pregnancy." Someone added.

"How did you get your figure back after twins?" The one on Kol's side leaned over to look at me.

"You don't look like you squeezed out twins at all," Another one mused.

"Oh please, she was probably too posh to push," The one with the nails glared at me over her nails. "I mean look at her."

"Definitely," Agreed a woman sitting right next to her.

I didn't know which way to turn.

"They're not ours," Kol told them slowly.

"So you lied," Another called his attention.

"No, you didn't ask." He continued.

"So you stole them?" Asked the one beside me.

I turned to look at him. Perhaps this was why they were so interested in the twins, it didn't seem that Elijah or Darren had ever set foot in this group.

"They're my nieces; we're watching them for the night while my brother goes out." He clarified. It was obvious that he was becoming annoyed.

There were a few audible tongue clicks and noises of disappointment.

"Shame he doesn't bring them himself." The one beside me finally sat back.

"Poor things always come on their own," Came another response.

"I can see why," He muttered quietly under his breath.

They disbursed after that, for the most part. One of the younger ones tried to come over and get his attention, but I wasn't going to have any of that, so I made sure she saw me take his hand and stroke the back of it with my thumb affectionately.

It was a very awkward, somewhat tense half hour.

"We're done," The girls came over, still bouncing excitedly.

"Did you have fun?" I asked them I changed their shoes.

They chattered on the way they always did while Kol helped them into their jackets. We made a speedy exit before any one of them could stop us.

"Good lord, I don't think I've ever met a lot of more judgmental bitches in my life." He shook his head as he closed the door after putting Lilah in.

"Kol!" I hissed. "They'll hear you!"

"Good, I want them to." He was a little upset.

"Not them," I shook my head gesturing back to the studio. "_Them_." I pointed into the car.

"Oh," He realized what I meant. "Sorry."

He drove to my apartment and helped bring them upstairs. I had a talkative Leah in one arm and their duffel bag in the other, while he had Lilah and a garment and duffel bag from the previous weekend in his arms.

Sondheim was elated to find that he had people to actually play with. The girls absolutely adored him, and he them.

"Is he supposed to shake like that?" Kol asked worried from his spot on the couch.

"He's just really excited." I handed him a cup of coffee. "He never really gets visitors so this is pretty special."

"Can we keep him?" Leah asked from the floor where Sondheim ran from her to Lilah and back again.

"No, you can't keep my dog." I shook my head.

"Awww," They pouted.

"But you can come visit him if you'd like," I told them. "Or I can take him to visit you."

"Yay!" They seemed to like the compromise.

"Must he drool everywhere?" Kol asked, shifting slightly away from where Sondheim had dropped the rope toy at his feet.

"It's a bull dog thing." I shrugged. "Besides, he wants to be your friend, too. Look, he brought you one of his favorite toys."

"How…nice of him." Kol made a face. "You know, you struck me as a toy breed type, not a bull dog type."

"Yeah, I know. But he's grown on me." I couldn't help but smile at the pup that was eagerly waiting for Kol to pick up the rope.

At around eight-forty I got the girls in tub and gave them their bath. I pulled Lilah out first as she gave much less of a fight than her sister. I dried her off and wrapped her in a towel before sending her off to Kol who was waiting in my room. He got her into her pj's while I bargained with Leah to end bath time. Once I finally got her out, I sent her to him as well so that I could empty the tub and put away the bubbles and soaps.

I found them snuggled into Kol's sides as he lay casually on my bed, flipping through the channels on the television opposite the bed.

"Gee, are you comfortable enough?" I asked.

"Well, now that you ask…" Kol began.

"I'm hungry." Lilah piped up.

"Me too," Leah sat up.

"Oh goodness," I led them to the kitchen where they decided that they wanted graham crackers and juice. "Be careful, don't spill!" I called after them as they went back to Kol.

They pulled out the coloring books that they found in my bag and proceeded to use Kol's torso as a tabletop. He didn't seem to mind much, simply craning his head to one way or another as they moved to get a different angle.

"You wanna bite?" Lila offered him a graham cracker, though not moving from her coloring position.

He took a bite from her cracker. "Thank you, Lilah."

When they tired of coloring, finding that there was no more room left on my fridge for any more of their drawings, they demanded to watch The Princess and the Frog.

I sat cross legged on the other side of the bed, one hand being held by Kol, and the other taking care of several emails. I received a text from Elijah saying that they were running a bit late, they had lost track of time and would be arriving a bit later than planned. I told them not to worry, that everything was just fine.

"This is actually somewhat…amusing." Kol commented.

"Shhhh, Uncle Kol." Leah shushed him as she climbed onto his chest, and turning so that she could face the television.

"Sorry," He shot me a look of amusement.

It wasn't long before I turned to find that Leah had fallen asleep on Kol, Lilah had somehow managed to squeeze her way onto him as well and was also fast asleep, but not only were they asleep, Kol, too, was snoring lightly, one arm thrown across both of them protectively.

At about ten thirty, I heard a soft knock on the door. I went to let them in, careful to not trip over Kol's shoes.

"How were they?" Darren asked as they came inside.

"They were just fine," I pointed towards the bedroom. "They're actually asleep."

"Kol?" Elijah asked as they went in to take the girls.

"Shhh," I put a finger to my lips. "He showed up a few minutes after you left. He was actually a pretty big help. We make a good team."

"Well, the girls love him," Elijah cautiously moved his brother's arm.

Darren picked up Lilah as Elijah took Leah, carefully detaching her fingers from Kol's shirt.

"Should we wake him?" Elijah asked.

"Nah, just leave him." I shook my head. "I can take him home in the morning. He's had a long day."

"Suit yourself," Elijah shrugged.

"You know, he'd make a really great dad someday if he could just settle his ass down for once." Darren commented.

"He's great with the girls," I nodded in agreement.

"Well, only time will tell." Elijah looked down at his sleeping brother.

After they were gone, I moved Kol under the duvet and sheets. He stirred only minimally.

"Good, they're gone." He put an arm around me and pulled me closer, lucid for only a second. The musky scent of his cologne was inviting, and I couldn't help but inhale.

Morning arrived quickly. I woke before he did, so I left him sleeping while I took a shower. It was interesting to watch him sleep; I'd never seen him so relaxed before. He looked even more innocent in his slumber than when giving his usual boyish grin. He was still asleep after I had finished dressing, so I decided that it was best to wake him.

I crawled onto the other side of the bed again, wondering if he was one of those sleepers that would wake when someone watched them. I studied the steady rising and falling of his chest, but he didn't stir.

"Kol," I whispered as I brushed away the hair that had fallen into his eyes. "Kol…"

He made a noise of protest, his nose scrunching up in a way that reminded me of a baby chipmunk. "Five more minutes," He mumbled pulling the comforter up and rolled over.

"Tough luck, dude," I rubbed his arm. "Time to wake up."

I rubbed his back until he finally decided to open his eyes. He looked around confusedly.

"Where am I?" He rolled onto his back. "Wait, never mind, I remember now."

"Yeah, and if you want a ride home, you better get up." I nudged him before sitting up.

He nodded as he sat up, hair sticking up in every direction.

"I'm guessing that women don't usually stay to witness your morning state, do they?" I teased him.

He gave me a confused look. "No, but what makes you say that?"

"Well, you're no prom king in the morning."

He turned to examine the state of his head in the mirror that hung on my closet door.

"Agh," He began combing through it with his fingers in an effort to get it to calm down. "What're you talking about, I'm prom king material all day, every day." He turned to grin at me before hiding his face in his hands to rub his eyes.

"You shouldn't lie to yourself." I patted his shoulder and then hopped off of the bed and headed to the kitchen.

"Ugh, those girls give a hangover effect. I don't understand how they do it." He didn't seem to mind helping himself to the contents of my kitchen.

"No, I think you're just old." I told him as I popped bread into the toaster.

"Hey!" He gave me an indignant look. "Four years is not that much older than you."

"Four years closer to thirty…" I turned to lean against the counter.

His jaw dropped. "Alright, okay. We'll see how well you're doing in four years."

"Okay," I nodded accepting his challenge.

He shot me one last playful glare before moving across the kitchen to inspect the pantry. "Do you happen to keep any cereal in this place?"

I was about to answer, when he burst out laughing.

"Seriously?" He held up a box of honey nut cheerios. "And you're calling _me_ old?"

"They're good!" I defended the cereal.

"They're _'heart healthy_,'" He pointed out.

"Fine," I snatched the box from his hands. "Give me that."

"Hey! What if I wanted some?" His grin was teasing, his eyes twinkling.

I placed the box back into the pantry and opened the adjacent cabinet to pull out the Frosted Flakes. I handed him the box and hid a second box behind my back.

"Now we're talking." He took it from me, but paused before going to the table. "Wait a second, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing." I shook my head innocently.

"Oh, it's definitely something." He held his hand out. "Hand it over."

I shook my head defiantly. There was no way that I was going to share these.

Kol set the box of Frosted Flakes on the table and then came back to approach me.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can it the hard way. Take your pick." His playful glare had absolutely no menace behind it. I wasn't worried in the slightest.

"The hard way," I challenged him.

He cornered me into the back of my kitchen; I had nowhere left to turn.

"No!" I held it above my head. "I'm not sharing."

Unfortunately for me, he was nearly six inches taller than me and was able to snatch the box from my hands easily.

"You're going to keep the Honey Smacks from me?" He gave me the puppy dog look. "But these are my favorite!"

"No, they're _my_ favorite." I pouted.

"Please, pleeeease share with your favorite co-star…" He begged me with his puppy eyes. "How is that Lilah says it…oh yes, I'll be your best friend forever."

"Ugh, fine." I waved him off, feigning annoyance. "Just don't eat them all."

Breakfast was spent with our usual teasing banter, nothing problematic. He was good company, surprisingly. This time, thankfully, there was no Rebekah to come in and ruin it all.

As I we pulled up to the guesthouse driveway, he turned to me. "What are you doing today?"

"Ah, I have plans," I told him. "Sorry."

He looked a little crestfallen. "How about dinner tonight? I won't take no for an answer."

I pursed my lips. I already had dinner plans with Stefan… I couldn't cancel for Kol, could I?

"I already have dinner plans," I told him softly. His face fell once more.

"My goodness, I suppose I've underestimated how in demand you are." He shook his head. "Alright, how about tomorrow? We have a family brunch every Sunday, and I'd love to take you as my guest."

"Ah, the Mikaelson family brunch," I nodded remembering it now. "How could I forget?"

"I'll take that as an acceptance." He stepped out of the car, moving around to the other side to open the passenger door for me.

As I was getting into the driver's seat, he stopped me. "Tell him he's lucky."

I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"To have you grace him with your presence." He clarified as he shut my door.

I rolled down the window. "And just what makes you think it's a date?"

He shrugged, his hands finding their way into the pockets of his hoodie. "Just the way you said it, I guess."

I waited just a second before replying, waiting to see how he would take my next question. "What if I tell him that we can only be friends?"

Kol smirked now, the sunlight playing streaks through his hair causing his eyes to shine. "I think," He paused, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "I'd be okay with that."

I smiled. "Okay."

"Okay," He repeated.

I watched him give a little wave from my rearview mirror before going inside. I wasn't entirely sure what we were or what we would become, but there was something about him that didn't make me think twice about any sort of commitment with him. He was just so….right.

I spent most of the day hauling Alyssa through various stores at one of my favorite outdoor shopping malls.

"My goodness, Lyss," I shook my head. "You weren't kidding when you said you weren't much of a shopper."

"I told you," She rolled her eyes. "I don't understand it."

While I had already gotten a new outfit for tonight's dinner and several other pieces, it was like pulling teeth to even get her to look at clothes. Eventually, however, she did get a little more into the swing of things.

"I like this one." She held up a maroon colored cardigan with tiny flower shaped buttons.

"Good!" I patted her head. "I'm so proud of you; I'm going to buy it for you."

After lunch, I took her with me to my favorite day spa and we got thirty minute massages and facials.

"This is surprisingly relaxing," She commented from the recliner beside me as her toenails got painted.

"I told you." I shrugged. "It works wonders."

Luckily, it was in the same place as my hairdresser, so I seized the opportunity and went in for a trim. I came out, however, with new bangs.

"I've never gotten a blowout before," Alyssa ran her hands through her now shoulder length bob. "It's so soft."

"But most importantly, you look fabulous." I told her.

It was a day of many firsts for this little girl whose mother obviously hadn't felt the need to show her this world.

Our last store of the day was a high end vintage shop that I stopped in occasionally. I loved it because they had everything from Coach to Gucci to Dolce to Chanel. A lot of it was ridiculously overpriced, but it was "vintage," so occasionally I allowed myself the splurge.

I was browsing through the Tiffany lamps that my mother wanted me to inquire about for the downstairs den, when Alyssa approached me.

"I like this," She held up a smaller cross body Dooney and Bourke light brown leather purse. "I've never had a Dooney and Bourke. My mother only really likes Coach."

"That, my love, is sacrilege. You cannot discriminate because of a brand." I told her.

Needless to say, we left with two lamps in my trunk, a Prada scarf in my case, and a surprisingly old yet well preserved Dooney and Bourke purse in Alyssa's case.

"Oh my god," Damon's eyebrows went up in surprise as he opened the door. "Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?"

"Daddy," Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Don't you like it?"

"It's different." He nodded. "It's definitely going to take me a while to be able to recognize you."

"This is okay with you, right?" I clarified. "You're not going to yell at me for taking her to get a haircut, are you?"

"No," He shook his head. "I didn't know she wanted a haircut."

"She didn't, but my hairdresser talked her into it." I informed him.

He sighed. "She doesn't tell me these things," He said as soon as she was out of earshot. "Sometimes I feel like a horrible parent when she tells me way after the matter."

I shrugged. "It happens. You can't blame yourself. Did she tell you why she went looking for me yesterday?"

"No," He seemed a little perplexed.

I weighed out my options. I could tell him and risk Alyssa's trust, or I could not tell him and risk his.

"Why don't you ask her about it? I think she really needs to talk to you." I clasped his shoulders. "Just hear her out for a second."

Damon nodded, a look of worry clouding his eyes. "You were never this difficult, you know."

"I had Jenna," I shot back. "This is different."

As I was pulling out of the driveway, Stefan pulled in. He sent me a little wave as I drove off. It was only a few seconds before his text message popped up on the screen of my dashboard, informing me that he would pick me up at seven.

It was already five, so I went home to change, fix my hair up and do my makeup. It was only six thirty, when there was a knock on the door. I was putting my earrings in as I went to answer it, surprised that he would arrive that early.

It wasn't Stefan at all, but a delivery boy with a box.

"Are you Sara?" He asked. I couldn't quite pin his uniform, but I didn't have time to think about it as he made me sign for the package. After I had signed, he handed me a yellow box, and promptly went on his way.

I looked down to find that I was holding a cube shaped yellow box with a thin black ribbon around it, the FENDI logo stamped in the lower right corner and embossed on the ribbon.

"Kol," I muttered as I closed the door. I didn't even have to open it to know that it was from him.

I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid to find a note on the creamy paper with the Mikaelson crest.

_So you'll think of me instead at dinner tonight. I hope you like it.  
>Have fun.<em>

_See you tomorrow,  
>Kol<em>

I had to laugh. He was certainly the jealous type. I had half a mind to ditch Stefan and go to Kol, but I couldn't be rude.

The drawstring cloth bag held an exquisite brown leather envelope clutch with a black flap and gold clasp on the front. It was just what I needed to complete my shopping trip for the day. And because heaven forbid that I not use it immediately, I emptied the purse that I had planned on taking and instead decided to use my new clutch.

I quickly took a picture of myself with it and sent it to Kol.

_Thank you, I love it! ;)_

I knew that he would be quite pleased with himself. I had only just put the box in my closet and the note on my boudoir, when there was another knock on the door. This time it was, no doubt, him.

"Hey," I opened the door to find Stefan standing on my doorstep.

"H-hi," He stuttered out. "Uhm, these are for you," He held out a bouquet of mixed flowers to me.

"Aww, you brought me flowers," I took them from him, instantly endeared. "Thank you, you didn't have to."

He followed me in as I went to grab a vase for them from a cabinet in the kitchen.

"I love them," I told him as I filled it with water.

"You're welcome," He leaned against the counter.

He waited as I put the flowers into the vase and then placed it on my coffee table.

"I want to put these here." I made sure to fluff them out the way that my mother always did when arranging flowers.

"You look lovely, by the way." He commented on my red sleeveless skater dress.

"Thank you," I nodded as I toyed with the sash that I had tied into a bow on the side. "You look pretty hot, yourself."

He did. His dark jeans and dark gray dress shirt definitely worked with his well toned physique. His black coat kept him mysterious, while drawing my attention to his chiseled jaw line with its five o'clock shadow and his intense green stare.

"Shall we?" He held an arm out to me.

"We shall," I took my black pea coat and clutch from the couch and followed him out the door.

He took me to an Italian restaurant that seemed to be frequented by couples and larger group parties. The atmosphere was a little mysterious, yet still managed to keep the romantic but fun ambient.

We talked about a lot of things, even touching slightly on my new record deal. He was surprisingly laid back about it all; telling me that he didn't think it was worth it to lose me over a deal.

"I know you didn't want to talk about it, but what's up with Rebekah's brother? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He brought Kol up over the main course.

"He's just Rebekah's brother, back from his studies in Europe, that's all." I told him, choosing my words carefully.

"Mm," He made a noise that didn't tell me he was convinced. "Do you know him well?"

"N-not really," I answered slowly. "Not yet."

"Yet?" Stefan cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Well…he just got hired on to take Griffin's job." I explained quietly, unable to look him in the eye.

"Oh." Was all he said.

"You're not jealous, are you?" I blurted out, instantly wishing that I could take it back.

"Why would I be jealous?" He looked up in surprise.

"No, I was just wondering," I shook my head.

"Should I be?" His forehead creased and he gave me his broody worried look.

Maybe.

"No, no," I reached out to touch his arm. "You shouldn't be. There's no reason for you to be."

He nodded slowly. "Is this exclusive?" He asked the question that I had been dying to know.

"Is it?" I didn't know what to say to him.

"If you want to take things slowly," He took a few seconds to phrase his statement carefully. "Then maybe this shouldn't be entirely exclusive."

"Right," I gave a single nod. "Slowly."

Slowly my foot. By the time dinner was over we were making out in his car. I couldn't help myself; he was just too damn attractive for his own good.

"You make me want to reconsider our terms of agreement," I said to him in between kisses.

"All you have to do is say the word." He whispered to me.

Just a few moments later and he had pulled me onto his lap. Unfortunately, in an effort to be sexy, and because it was getting a bit stuffy, I sat up to pull off my coat, and ended up hitting my head against the roof.

"Oww," I touched my forehead. "Sorry, ugh," I wriggled one arm out of my coat.

He had to help me with the other arm.

"Sorry," I smiled a little sheepishly. "So not attractive."

"On the contrary," He pulled me closer. "You're _very _attractive." He placed a kiss on my forehead where I had hit it.

Then, as he attempted to put an arm around me, he hit his elbow.

I laughed as he cursed.

"What a pair," I giggled as I gave him an Eskimo kiss.

He chuckled, "Yeah, this isn't working. I think I need a bigger car."

I reached behind me to jingle the keys in the ignition. "Or we just need a room."

We found that my couch sufficed much better for our activities than his car. It was as though all of my teenage fantasies about making out with him had come true, and I had to say, the real thing was much better.

"Oh, I almost forgot," He pulled away. "Cassie is going to be here next weekend; I told her that I'd go out for a drink with her. Do you are you want to come with me?"

"Yes!" I replied immediately. "I haven't seen that beast in…well ever. She's going to freak out."

"I warn you, she was weird before, but now she's just…I can't even begin to explain it." He gave me a look of warning.

"Oh please, I can handle her." I waved him off. "You haven't met crazy until you've met Rebekah."

"You're really good friends with her, aren't you?" He toyed with a strand of my hair in his fingers.

"She's one of my best friends," I shrugged. "I guess she's pretty special."

He nodded. "Okay, I'll put up with her for you and Matt."

"Oh?" I pulled away. "Put up with her? What has she done?"

"She might have bombarded me with emails demanding to know about…well everything." He shrugged nonchalant.

"Stefan!" I shoved him, mostly playfully, a little out of annoyance. "Why didn't you say anything sooner? I would've shut her up."

"It's fine," He shook his head. "I dealt with her."

"No, it's not fine." I grimaced. "I know how crazy she can get. She's a royal pain in the ass when she doesn't get her way."

"Hey, I survived, didn't I?" He held his hands up. "Look, not a single scratch."

I sighed; I was about it let it go, when suddenly fear struck me. "Wait, what exactly did you tell her?"

I was worried. I didn't know how much he would be willing to give away before she would give up.

"Before or after I gave her a straight answer?" His eyebrows went up in amusement.

I glared at him. "This isn't funny, Stefan."

"Relax," He pulled me back towards him and wrapped an arm around me. "I told her to mind her own damn business."

"Really?" I turned to look up at him.

He nodded, "Really."

"Huh," I turned away slightly. "I'm impressed."

"Ouch!" His jaw dropped indignantly. "You have such little faith in me."

"No, I trust you." I smiled.

"Uh-huh," He pressed his forehead to mine. "Sure." I received a small peck on the lips.

It was nearly midnight when he left, and I was exhausted. I didn't have time to think that I was now in far too deep to pull myself out. It was only when I woke up in the morning, that I found how much trouble I was in.

I still had very strong feelings for Stefan. Obviously. But I also was starting to fall for Kol. If I knew myself well enough, I knew that I was going to be falling quite hard for him as well.

"Well fuck." I muttered to myself as I rubbed my eyes. "This is going to be interesting."

I felt a little like a pendulum on my way to the Mikaelson Manor; having spent last night with Stefan and this morning with Kol. Still, I couldn't bring myself to choose between them.

"Good morning," Kol opened his door with a bright smile.

"Good morning," I accepted his hug. His kiss however, I wasn't expecting. "Whoa, okay."

"Sorry," He apologized as he took my hand. "Too much?"

"Actually, no." I shook my head as he closed the door behind him. We walked hand in hand to the Mikaelson dining room.

"Don't worry about Rebekah being here today. She's in San Diego with Matt looking into something for the wedding." He reassured me as he pulled open the sliding glass door into the house.

"Well that's a relief," I stepped inside.

I'd been to my share of Mikaelson Family brunches over the years, mostly after sleepovers with Rebekah or before some other event with her. They left nothing for want, all kinds of fruits, vegetables, breakfast, and lunch items laid out in a sort of buffet style assembly line in the main kitchen. Everyone brought their plate to the dining table to convene in a rather unconventional family meal. Where most families did Sunday dinner together, they preferred to do brunch.

"Sara, Uncle Kol!" We were hit by a flurry of glitter and pigtails.

"Hey girls," Kol took Lilah's hand as I took Leah's.

They chattered on as we entered the dining room, everyone was already present, mingling with each other.

"There they are," Elijah motioned to us. "Driving Kol and Sara mad already."

"Because a few hours weren't enough," I passed Leah to Darren's outstretched arms.

"You're the talk of the town, you know." Elijah commented as Kol gave him Lilah.

"Yes, both of you." Darren nodded.

"Oh?" Kol pulled me a little closer. "Are we, now?"

"Yes, you're absolutely the bee's knees," Elijah continued.

"The cat's meow, if you will," Darren called as he put Lilah into a booster seat at the table.

Kol and I gave them a look of confusion.

"What is this we hear about your wedding?" Elijah teased, a smirk crossing his face.

Kol let out a breath, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Of course they did."

"They seem to be under the impression that I would marry Kol." I shook my head, feigning pity.

"They can't stop talking about it." Darren took Leah and put her in a seat as well.

"Figures." Kol rolled his eyes. "I swear, you tell them one thing to shut them up and they blow it all out of proportion."

"We just want to make sure we're invited." Elijah gave us an innocent look.

"It didn't sound like we were." Darren nodded in grim agreement.

"Oh, shut up." Kol gave his brother a playful shove before pulling me to the kitchen.

In the kitchen we were greeted by Mrs. Mikaelson, who seemed quite pleased to see her youngest son.

"I swear he evades me by staying out in that guesthouse." She shook her head. "It's just so silly."

"I agree, I find it strange as well." I agreed with her.

Kol's mouth fell open. "You didn't seem to mind it when you were hiding from Rebekah," He pointed out.

"But Kol, really," I touched his shoulder, and gave him a wink when she wasn't looking. "Is it _really_ necessary to stay so far away from your poor mother? After all, she's missed you so much."

"I really have." She nodded as she piled a bunch of grapes onto her plate with an omelet. "And your wing hasn't been touched since you left. You don't have to worry about refurnishing or anything."

"I'm fine, Mother." Kol grumbled as rubbed the back of his neck. It was just too amusing to watch this play out.

As soon as we sat down, the twins began to complain that they wanted to sit with Uncle Kol, so they were placed in between us.

"Uncle Kol, will you peel my orange?" Leah held out a sliced orange to him.

"Yeah, mine too!" Lilah held hers out as well.

Elijah and Darren exchanged an amused look.

"No girls, look it's been cut." He showed them as he pulled it apart. "You pull it apart and eat it like that."

"Aww, but we want it peeled." They chorused.

He grumbled as he pulled the skin from the oranges.

"I give him ten minutes before he cracks." Klaus leaned over and whispered to me.

"Five says he'll start yelling." Finn spoke quietly from across the table.

"Put me in for ten dollars, he's going to throw something." Sage didn't even look up.

"You guys are horrible." Caroline shook her head from the other side of Klaus.

"I don't know, he's been pretty patient." I tried to discourage them.

Klaus shook his head. "No, mother's here. She always tries to convince him to move back into the house."

"Please, Darling," Esther touched her son's shoulder. "It would just be so much nicer to have you here."

"I am here. I just prefer to keep some distance." Kol didn't look at her.

For the most part, quiet conversation was kept in separate groups around the table that had been shortened in length to accommodate a much smaller group than usual. Finn commented on the stock market, which got Klaus going as they discussed the New York Times, while Sage and I cooed over Caroline's belly.

"I feel like I'm going to pop." Caroline pouted.

"But you're absolutely glowing," Sage reassured her.

"It's true. Besides, it gives you an excuse to be a little bit more demanding than usual," I tried to show her the bright side. "And to go shopping."

"No!" Klaus turned suddenly, drawing out the 'o.' "Absolutely no more shopping. I refuse to go to any more boutiques, department store, or anywhere else. I am _done_."

"I take it this whole baby thing is a bit more difficult than they make it out to be," I nodded to Caroline.

"You haven't the slightest idea." Klaus looked me in the eye, an almost mad look in his eyes.

"Uncle Kol, can we have some of your cheesecake?" Lilah asked beside me.

I turned to find Kol with the fork half way to his mouth from a petite single serving cheesecake. He closed his eyes with a sigh before sliding the plate over to them. "Have at it."

I exchanged a look with Klaus. "It's certainly coming," I whispered.

"Oh they know just how to push his buttons," He agreed.

"You know, if you moved back in, the girls wouldn't have to go outside to get to your place," Elijah commented from in front of Kol. "They wouldn't have to cross the yard."

"In the snow," Darren added with mock seriousness.

"This is southern California, it doesn't snow here." Kol countered.

"And I could come and visit you whenever I like," His mother nodded in agreement with Darren and Elijah. "The girls would absolutely love it."

"It takes less than thirty seconds if they run." He wasn't buying it. "Hopefully the snow won't trap them."

"Watch this," Klaus nudged me. "You know, Mother doesn't ask very much of you Kol. It's the _least_ you could do after…well everything."

I don't know if it was what Klaus said, or if it was the twins reaching for the yogurt on his plate, but it was definitely the last straw for him.

"You might want to think twice about hiring this one," Klaus stage whispered to me. "He's stubborn as a mule."

"Good lord!" He threw his hands in the air and stood. "What is this, beat up on Kol day?"

"Kol, please." Esther touched his arm in an attempt to calm him.

"I said no." He growled.

The room was utterly silent. Klaus stood and went over to Kol. For a second, it looked as though Kol was going to punch him, but then Klaus clasped him on the neck.

"Calm down, brother." He said. "You take things far too seriously."

Kol shook him off. "That one wasn't funny."

"It was a little funny." Finn didn't look up from his omelet.

Kol shot him a glare before returning to his seat.

"Do remember you have a guest," Klaus gave him a look before taking his place beside me once more.

"Sorry," Kol gave me an apologetic look.

I told him it was fine with a wave of my hand. I wondered what the double meaning of Klaus' words were. What had made him go off like that?

"That was six minutes," Sage raised her eyebrows but didn't look up. "A new record."

For the most part, the rest of the meal ran smoothly. Afterwards, I witnessed Klaus handing a five to Finn as Sage gave them both tens.

"They think it's funny to see how long it takes before Kol blows a fuse." Elijah came up behind me.

"That's horrible," I turned to him, my eyes wide.

He shrugged. "It's been going on for years. He's always been a bit of a wild card."

"So they always do this?" I looked at him.

"Oh yes, Sunday brunch is usually a big payout for them. You have no idea how much money was riding on the day of the engagement party."

"Oh? Why would they do that?" I was only somewhat shocked about Klaus doing it, but Finn and Sage I never saw coming.

"Kol doesn't do family gatherings. He avoids them at all costs. Especially after, well…after Dad died." His voice got softer as he reached the end of his sentence.

I shook my head. "I don't understand. Family is so important to you guys, why would he avoid it?"

Elijah's eyebrows went up. "Don't know if you've noticed, Kol's always been a little…estranged from the rest of us, for various reasons of course. Even as a child he preferred to be alone. I mean, he didn't blink at going to school in Europe. We never imagined that he would stay for over a decade. We always figured it was because of the age difference, but now that he's older we think it might have to do with something else."

"Such as?" I pressed for more.

"I don't think I should share theories. I think it's best if he tells you himself, though quite frankly, we're not sure if he's figured it out himself." And with that he went back to Darren who was trying to rid the girls of some sticky substance on their hands and faces.

"There you are," Kol appeared beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. "I was wondering where you went."

"I'm sorry about Klaus," I looked up at him.

"Why? It's not your fault he's an ass." Kol shrugged.

"Ay," I smacked him playfully. "Be nice, he's your brother."

He glared at me. "I don't know if you were there, but he likes to hit right where it hurts. You might've noticed."

"Yes, but if you give into his head games, he'll only benefit." I patted his chest. "Don't worry, we'll work on it."

We were in the foyer where a grand piano sat, Kol sitting at the bench, playing nonsense while I leaned against it.

"Kol, do you mind if I borrow your girlfriend?" Klaus appeared out of nowhere. I hadn't seen him coming. "Don't worry; it'll only take a second. Business things, you know."

Kol barely had time to protest before Klaus swept me out of the room and into his study in his wing.

"What's this about?" I asked as he gestured for me to sit in the chair opposite his desk.

"We're going to have a little chat." He said.

I gave him a curious look. "Okay…"

"Tell me, what exactly can you tell me about your friend Rose?" He got right to the point as he sat in his wingback chair.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I barely know her." I avoided eye contact.

"Oh, I know everything darling; it's no use trying to hide it from me." He sat back.

My head snapped back in his direction. There was no way that he could possibly know _everything_."

"There's no way." I shook my head. "Those records were sealed by the court."

"You'd be surprised at what money can buy, dear." He smirked. "Now we can do this easy way, or the hard way."

"What do you want to know?" I couldn't look at him. I could feel my hands beginning to clench into fists.

"Tell me about that little girl of hers. I've never met her before." He said, his fingers crossing together.

"Leave her out of this." I growled.

He grinned, his eyebrows going up in amusement. "Out of what, dear? I merely want to know who she is. I never said that anything was going to happen to her. Quite the contrary, not a single hair on her head is to be harmed."

"Then what is it that you want?" I looked at him suspiciously.

"I think," He stood and walked over to the door behind me. It shut with a clang as the thick wooden door came into contact with the frame and the lock was turned. He sat once more and waited a second before resuming.

"I think," He repeated. "That it's time I let you in on a secret."

** A/N: **That's all for now! Review and the next chapter shall come sooner! Questions, suggestions, comments, protests? Hit that little button and leave them in a review! I also respond to private messages if you prefer to communicate that way.


	18. Hall of Fame

Still Around

Chapter 18: Hall of Fame

**A/N: **Oh Halloween.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Vampire Diaries, or the Phantom of the Opera, or _Hall of Fame_ by The Script. I wish I did, but I don't.

_You can be the greatest/You can be the best/  
>You can be the Kong Kong bangin' on your chest<em>

_You could beat the world/ You could beat the war  
>You could talk to God, go bangin' on his door.<em>

_-Hall of Fame by The Script_

**Sara's POV**

You know how in movies with those cheesy love triangles, the whole triangle thing is revealed in some big dramatic way and the girl always ends up with the least expected guy? Yeah, I was waiting for the big reveal for weeks, and still nothing. I'd been splitting my time between Stefan and Kol for weeks and I still hadn't come even remotely close to having to make a real decision between the two.

Sure, juggling them was a bit tricky at times, but I didn't think that either was a secret from the other. They were surprisingly civil about it all, neither giving me a hard time about the other. Honestly, it drove me crazy. I was starting to wish that I would be given some reason to have to pick.

It was late October and, naturally, everything Halloween was in full swing. I lost count how many times I had listened to the Monster Mash on the speakers at the school, Thriller along with it. Still, I was somewhat looking forward to attending a charity ball on Halloween as Stefan had agreed to go with me as my date. We still hadn't agreed on our costumes, but the list was definitely getting narrowed down. I wanted to go as a famous couple of some sort, but he thought that we might want to keep it a little more generic.

"Come on," I had shoved him playfully as we met over coffee at a Starbucks on Saturday morning. "Live a little!"

"It's not that I don't live," He shook his head, holding his coffee away from his clothing. "I'm just not sure what kind of a crowd we're going to be around."

"It's a charity ball, Stefan." I rolled my eyes. "The _Boo Ball_ for the children's hospital."

Even though I tried to convince him that we should have a little more fun with it, he wasn't buying it. We had tentatively settled on some sort of royal couple thing, but I wasn't too in love with the idea of having to wear some itchy costume all night.

Despite my apathy towards our costume decision, I was more than a bit disappointed when he called me the week before to tell me that the execs had decided to have some big meeting the night of the ball and there was, and I quote, "no way in hell" that he could get out it.

"I'm sorry; I know you were really looking forward to it." He apologized. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Don't worry about it," I shook my head, though he couldn't see the obvious disappointment on my face. "It gets you out of having to wear some dumb costume all night. Ironically enough, I was just about to call you with a really great idea for us, but I guess it's a moot point now, isn't it?"

"I feel horrible about this," The pain was evident in his voice. "I'm really sorry. If it makes you feel better, I'd love to hear your idea. I'm sure it's great."

"No," I shook my head almost bashfully. "You don't want to hear it. It was…well, silly anyway."

"Oh, come on," He pressed. "It can't be any worse than anything we've already tried."

"Alright," I gave in with a huff. "I was thinking that maybe we could have been Bonnie and Clyde?"

He made a noise on the other end, but I wasn't sure if it was of distaste or amusement.

"Stefan?" I waited. "Are you going to say anything?"

"I think it's a great idea." He finally spoke. "I just wish you wouldn't have to just be Bonnie."

"Yeah, me too." I agreed.

It took me a few days to come to terms with the fact that I would be going alone, but eventually I got over it. That was until I was in the hallways putting up flyers for the Fall Formal that would be held just a few weeks from then, when I ran into the very bane of my existence. Sort of.

"Don't you ever go home?" Kol crossed his arms feigning annoyance as I juggled flyers, tape, and a few folders in my arms.

"I could ask you the same thing," I cocked an eyebrow at him.

His lips twitched upward into an amused smirk. "Are you going to let me help you this time?"

"Perhaps," I nodded. "But only if you promise not to annoy me and throw me to the ground."

"Throw you to the ground?" He scoffed. "Obviously your memory isn't serving you properly, because if it were, you would recall that you weren't watching where you were going and subsequently, _you_ ran into _me._"

"If you say so," I shrugged.

He let out a little growl. "Oh, give me those." He took the flyers from me.

We worked quickly, he would put up the flyer and I would give him the tape. Occasionally, I had to correct his placement, but for the most part he was an okay flyer-placer.

"Kol, we can't all be six feet tall," I reminded him.

"What, this one's in a perfect spot!" He countered.

"Um, yeah…" I suck a piece of tape onto the back of his red and navy blue plaid shirt where I already had a small collection of unusable tape going. "If you're your height. For us groundlings, it has to be a little bit lower to be at eye level."

"Well fine," He grumbled as he moved the flyer down and taped it.

"That's a good boy," I patted his shoulder, leaving another piece of tape.

"I'm not a dog," he pointed out. "And stop putting tape on me! Look at this! I'm covered!"

He had discovered my little collection. "This is ridiculous." Kol complained as he removed his shirt to take off the tape. I tried not to stare as the light blue t-shirt that he was wearing underneath that clung to his muscular build.

"But we're all done," I pointed out to him innocently.

He glared at me playfully as he removed the last few pieces of tape.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" I pushed him against the wall next to a row of yellow lockers.

"Mad at you?" He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Never."

"Good." I nodded firmly before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"What was that for?" He smiled a little goofily.

I shrugged. "For being wonderful."

"But I'm always wonderful," He smirked at me.

"Sure you are." I patted his chest and then turned to continue down the hall.

It took him a second before he realized that I wasn't coming back. "Hey, wait!" He ran after me.

I dropped of the last of the files that I needed to review in the main office and clocked out. He waited in the hallway for me.

"Got any dinner plans for tonight?" He asked, taking my hand as I left the office.

"Hmm," I led him towards the staff parking lot. "Dinner with myself, can't cancel that again. And then Criminal Minds is on tonight, can't miss that either, though I think it's a rerun."

"So I take it you're free," He pushed open the door for me and we stepped out onto the pavement.

"I suppose," I nodded. "But it better be a good reason."

We walked down the sidewalk to the parking lot, past the marquee with the giant red and orange phoenix.

"There's supposed to be some big announcement at dinner," He explained as he tapped his wallet against the scanner to unlock the gate.

"That sounds like it'll be good news," I squeezed his hand.

He shrugged. "Sure, I just hate stuff like this. Y'know, all of the…togetherness."

I had to fight off a sigh. I had also spent those weeks trying to get him to open up to me, to no avail. Still, I couldn't just leave him to fend for himself, especially not when his siblings had made a game of making him crack—one that he was surprisingly well aware of.

"Alright," I nodded. "I'll go with you."

I opened my car door and he held it open as I got in.

"Besides," He smirked. "You've become something of a staple, anyway."

I nodded, my brow furrowed in slight confusion. "Good to know."

"Seven-ish, okay?" He told me as I started the engine.

"Alright," I nodded as I began to pull out. He waved before going over to his silver G class Mercedes.

I went home for a few hours to change and unwind before I left for the Mikaelson place. I made sure to stop to pick up some flowers for Mrs. Mikaelson, as it was rude to arrive empty handed to a dinner, regardless of how frequently I had done joined them in the past few weeks.

"For me?" Kol teased as he opened the front door. "You shouldn't have."

I pushed him away. "No, not for you."

"Oh, you've invited Sara," Esther smiled as she came to take the flowers from me. "How lovely to see you again, my dear."

"Likewise, Mrs. Mikaelson," I nodded as Kol placed an arm around me and leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Kol," I hissed as she turned to go back into the dining room.

"What, she doesn't care," He shrugged.

I tried to keep a straight face as I chastised him. "We need to at least _appear_ to be respectable in front of your mother."

"But being respectable is so boring," He mused.

"My goodness, this is the third time this week alone," Rebekah announced her presence as she came down the staircase.

We had reconciled two weeks ago, after a long and rather tearful apology on her part. Unfortunately, Kol and I had been the root of many of her jokes and the basis for her teasing for the better part of those two weeks. She assured us, however, that she fully approved.

"I swear he's being rude by not just having you move in. You both would save so much on gas." She smiled.

"Hi Rebekah," I gave her a hug.

"Hello, love." Rebekah squeezed me. "I mean, he's got his own bloody house, for god's sake. There's no excuse."

"But if I did that, then you would be there all day, therefore rendering my own house pointless," Kol pointed out to her as we went into the dining room.

"Then why don't you just move in with her?" She smiled menacingly at him and then turned to me. "You can have him, my gift to you."

I was seated in between Kol and Rebekah, with Elijah and Darren on the opposite side of us. The girls in between them, and Klaus and Caroline also on the opposite side. Finn sat at the opposite head as his mother, Sage seated to his left, and their sons Robert and Mikael in between Rebekah and Sage. I was beginning to understand Kol's wariness over all of their "togetherness."

"My, my," Darren shook his head with a smirk. "Kol, you're starting to make us wonder."

"Perhaps it's time you formally introduce us to your lovely guest," Elijah finished his husband's thought.

Kol shot them both a glare from across the table. "Perhaps it's time you mind your own business."

"Ouch, someone's in a feisty mood," Darren chuckled.

Thankfully, they left him alone for most of dinner. I was pretty sure, however, that it was due in part to my death glares at Klaus.

"So Sara, what are your plans for Halloween?" Klaus inquired, trying his best to stay away from Kol.

I glanced over at Kol, before answering. "Oh, I've got this charity ball thing that my parents made me promise to go to. They're in Mexico right now, so I apparently have to go in their place."

"How nice of you to do that," Klaus smiled, his eyes only wavering slightly over to Kol.

I hadn't forgotten what he had shared with me just a few weeks prior. In fact, I had lost quite a bit of sleep over it, but it wasn't something that I could just bring up over dinner.

"Is this the Boo Ball for the children's hospital?" Esther asked from the other side of Kol.

I nodded. "Yes, we try to go to at least one of their events every year."

She smiled softly. "We're big contributors. But this year, Kol will be going in our place, won't you, dear?" She turned to gaze at him.

Rebekah's brow furrowed. "Wait, are you going together?"

"Oh no, I had no idea he was going," I shook my head. What a pleasant surprise.

"Well why don't you?" Esther prodded.

Kol turned to me and spoke quietly. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go, but apparently you're already going. You're not going to turn me down in front of my family, now are you?"

I smirked at him now. "Yes, of course I would." I whispered to him.

"Of course we'll go together," I told Mrs. Mikaelson. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"We have to go in costume," He nudged me under the table with his knee.

"Oh, I know." I took his hand. "Don't worry; I have the _perfect_ idea for us."

"Kol _hates_ Halloween," Rebekah piped up beside me. "As to why is entirely beyond me, you'd think he'd love it."

"Yeah, hi, Rebekah?" Kol waved at her as he leaned behind me. "I'm right here. There's no need to discuss me in the third person."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh Kol, you have no idea how much we've missed you all these years without you."

As dessert was passed out, Elijah and Darren exchanged a look before the former called attention. By this point, Leah and Lilah had come over to our side of the table and demanded to sit with Uncle Kol. Of course, Kol obliged.

"Everyone, Darren and I…have an announcement to make." Elijah commanded attention like the Mikaelson that he was.

"After much thought and deliberation," Darren began, fidgeting with his cuff links.

Elijah, too nervously toyed with a button on his dinner jacket. "And countless arguments,"

I had a feeling about what was coming, but I held my breath the same as the others.

"We're pleased to announce that there will be a new addition to the family come summertime." They smiled together.

The room erupted. Both were engulfed by family members, so I decided to wait it out until the swarm died out. Beside me however, I found Kol trying to deal with two sobbing little girls.

"What's wrong, girls?" I turned to them.

"We don't want a baby." They cried.

I exchanged an amused look with Kol. This was certainly unexpected.

I took Lilah from him and held her. "Why not, girls? It's not so bad. I promise."

They sniffed. "We don't want a baby." They repeated in between hiccups.

"Hey look," Kol spoke to them in a soothing tone. "I didn't want a little sister, but I still got Rebekah anyway. She's not so bad…usually."

They each gave him tearful looks. "Are you sure?"

"Sure, I am," He nodded. "Don't worry, it'll be great."

"Girls," Elijah and Darren held their arms out to them.

They gave Kol and me one last uncertain look before running over to them.

I went over to give them each a hug. "Congratulations," I said.

"Thanks," Darren squeezed me with one arm. "I think." He looked worried at Lilah in his arms.

"Did they not know?" I asked as I hugged Elijah.

He shook his head. "No, they knew. They just haven't quite warmed up to the idea."

"They'll come around," I reassured him.

"I certainly hope so." He nodded a little grimly.

Following dinner, I went with Kol to his house. The change in atmosphere was almost refreshing.

"So how does it feel to be an uncle again?" I asked him as we took the paved walkway.

He gave me a funny look. "It hasn't been born yet, so I suppose I don't know."

"You know what I mean," I squeezed his hand.

He opened the door for me and followed me into his living room. "As long as it's not like Leah and Lilah, it's all just fine by me. Then again…they could have another set of twins. This could be problematic."

"How so?" My mouth twitched into an amused smile.

He flopped onto the couch. "I don't know that I could handle another pair like them."

I curled into his side, snuggling into his shoulder. "You love them, you know you do."

"I never said I didn't," Kol reached for the remote to the TV on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Whatever will you do, counting this one and Klaus and Caroline's baby, you'll have six nieces and nephews. And as far as I can tell, they all absolutely adore you." I pointed out to him.

"As long as I don't have to babysit them all at once, it's all good." He put an arm around me as the TV screen lit up.

I reached for the afghan hanging over the arm of the couch and wrapped it around us. "I think we can manage."

"We?" He turned to look at me.

I nodded. Kol's lips slowly turned up into a slow smile.

"I suppose so," he finally responded.

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead before tuning into CBS for me.

The big night arrived quickly, and after making many calls to several costume houses, I finally found what I was looking for. Kol and I had agreed on our costume, but decided that we would add an air of mystery by shopping separately. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to see him in his costume.

It turned out that Matt and Rebekah would be joining us after all, so she demanded that I change into my costume with her.

"It'll be just like old times, minus the smelly dressing room and that man whore." She insisted. The 'man whore' in reference to Griffin.

So I found myself, in a beige trench coat and a scarf around my hair to hide any trace of the costume from him, trudging up the grand staircase to Rebekah's wing, garment bag and shoe box in tow.

"Shall I help you with that?" A familiar voice chuckled behind me.

I turned to find him leaning against the wall, still in his usual jeans and faded band t-shirt.

"No, but thank you." I nodded. "Shouldn't you be getting dressed? I expect full on face make up."

He gave me a serious look. "You're joking. Don't worry; I'll be fully dressed before you're even half way done."

I shot him a playful glare. "You better be, otherwise you'll be spending eternity in the dungeons."

With that, I hurried off to Rebekah's rooms, making sure that he wasn't following me.

It didn't take long to dress, though Rebekah did take up a considerable amount of my time with her usual chatter. Her costume however, was the teensiest bit scandalous. She and Matt were dressing for the '20s. Her flapper costume suited her well.

"Oh Bekah, you're looking as scandalous as ever." I remarked as she put on her bright red lipstick.

"And don't you forget it," She winked at me in the mirror.

She came over to me as I was putting on the petticoats, what appeared to be a newspaper in her hands. "Speaking of scandalous, you might want to read this before going out tonight. This is just a fair warning for the possible death threats that you'll be receiving after tomorrow."

"I'm sorry?" I was confused as I took the paper from her hands. I unfolded it to find an article on her engagement party. One of the highlights, however, appeared to be a side panel on Kol. There was a picture of him looking quite dapper in his tux, casually leaning against the railing of the staircase. According to the article, he was "the most eligible bachelor this side of the Mississippi" and any girl that got her hands on him would be "the luckiest woman in the west."

"Good lord," I muttered as I set it down on the table before me.

Her heels clicked as she came over to take it. "I know. Whoever wrote this was obviously biased. They obviously don't know him well."

"Has he seen it?" I asked almost nervously. I certainly hadn't seen it before, but I didn't want him to think that I had. It was no secret that the Mikaelsons came from very old money, but that wasn't at all my reason for being with him.

She shrugged as she sat down on a settee. "Of course he has. He thinks it's the most hilarious thing in the world. He claims he even went to thank the writer."

Now I knew that he hadn't taken it all seriously. "Yeah, sounds about right." I responded sarcastically.

I had only just slipped into the gown when she left to check on Matt.

"I'll be right back," She told me as I was unzipping the garment bag.

I was having a bit of trouble lacing up the back of the dress.

"Bek?" I called out. "A little help here. Rebekah?"

I heard a small gasp behind me and turned to find Caroline standing there stunned.

"You look like a princess," She murmured.

I sheepishly held my dress on with my arms. "Actually, I was going for Christine Daae, but thanks."

"I'll help you," She hurried over and quickly pulled the laces on the bodice and tied me up. "Rebekah's probably held up with Matt.

I turned to find myself transformed. The dress fit well, the off-the-shoulder sleeves lying gracefully on my arms, the sleeves puffed out for a regal effect, and the bodice spreading out into a full shimmering ball gown with starburst beading. She finished it off by tying the blue and gold sash around my waist.

"Where the heck did you find this and where can I get one in my size?" She clutched my shoulders.

I laughed and gave her the name of the costume house that had provided my movie replica attire for the night. Caroline sighed, informing me that she couldn't wait to have her body back. I could only imagine what a bother it must be.

She was quiet for a moment before picking up a box that she had set on the table. "He sent these for you. I hope you don't mind, but I peeked."

I took it from her, cautiously lifting the lid. Kol was always exceedingly generous with his gifts, and this was no exception. I found a pair of golden star earrings that dangled with two additional stars below the stud. Each star had a small diamond laid in the center, giving it that extra shimmer.

"Perfect," I put them into their rightful place on my ears.

Caroline grinned as she stared at me. "My god, I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore so I can wear amazing costumes."

I smiled sympathetically. "Next year, hon."

"I'm gonna go get my camera. There's no way I'm letting you two leave this house without documenting this." She ran off to fetch her camera, leaving me to step into my shoes, and collect my things before I could go downstairs.

I had to admire them for just a minute before I put them on. The satin heels with the white bow were just too pretty to not stare at them for just few seconds before I wouldn't be able to see them all night.

I took one look in the mirror before sending Kol a text, asking him if he was ready for me. When he replied that he was already downstairs with Rebekah and Matt, I picked up my skirt and made my way down the hall.

They heard the clicks of my heels before they saw me.

"Here she comes." I heard Caroline squeal. As to how on earth a pregnant woman managed to waddle her way to their wing of the house, grab her camera, and come back before I did, was entirely beyond me. But Caroline never ceased to amaze me.

There was complete silence as I descended down the steps of the marble staircase. I didn't dare look at Kol until I reached the bottom. Luckily, a gloved hand was extended for me to take, grasping my fingers warmly as I stepped onto the floor.

I looked up to find a very familiar face smiling at me.

"Hi stranger," I grinned at him.

"Hello," He pressed his forehead to mine and then kissed me.

Rebekah interrupted, "A bride and groom already, aren't you supposed to send out invitations first?"

I shot her a look before handing Kol his mask. I was pleased to find that he had stuck as closely to the character as possible, slicked back hair, cape and all.

"Thinking differently, sister?" He asked as I leaned in closer to him so that we could properly display the full costume.

"Clever," She conceded. "Why didn't we think of something cute like that?" She playfully hit her fiancée.

"Because you wanted to be a flapper?" He tried.

"That's not going to cut it next year," She told him sternly.

Caroline insisted upon taking several pictures of the four us, guilting us into it by threatening to cry because of her hormones.

"My, my," Klaus announced his entrance before coming up behind Caroline and wrapping an arm around her. "It seems that this generation enjoys this holiday far too much."

"No, you're just a party pooper and don't like to dress up for Halloween." His wife turned to glare at him.

He scoffed, "Now dear, let's not point fingers. I'm not the one that didn't want to dress up this year. I tried to play nice this year, but you insisted."

She didn't have time to argue because two little tornados swept in to steal everyone's attention, or two little princesses, rather.

"Sara!" They screamed as they ran to touch the skirt of the gown.

The horror on Darren's face was evident as he came in behind them. "Whoa, _whoa_, no touching the pretty dress," He pulled them away. "I'd rather we not ruin a few costumes tonight."

"It's fine," I waved him off. They had only come to admire the beading. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"You've obviously never had them around delicate things," He explained. "My goodness, you four just went all out, didn't you?"

The girls had begun pulling on Kol's cape. "Uncle Kol, what are _you_ supposed to be? Grooms don't wear capes! You got your costume wrong."

Kol rolled his eyes. "No girls, I'm The Phantom, _not_ a groom."

Their protests began almost immediately. "Aww, why not? At least Sara got it right. Look, she's even got sparklies in her hair!"

"Yeah, at least _I_ got it right," I nudged him playfully.

He grimaced a little. "Next year," He conceded to them. Their squeals of joy were enough of an answer.

"We want to take a picture with the big princess," They pushed Kol out of the way.

"Gee, thanks." He grumbled sarcastically as Caroline showed them how to stand so they wouldn't crush the dress.

"Aww, how come I don't get a cape?" Little Robbie went straight for his uncle's cape.

Kol pulled away in slight horror, before realizing that it was only Robert. "Hey, little man." He patted his seven year old nephew's head.

"Can I have a cape?" He asked Kol seriously.

"But you're Iron Man! Iron man doesn't have a cape," Kol explained to him.

The little boy's brow furrowed as he reached up to scratch his auburn hair, the padded muscles on his costume scrunching up. "But why not?"

"Maybe in the next movie, pal," Kol squeezed his shoulder before pulling him closer to keep him from running everywhere.

"Just one last one," Caroline demanded before letting the girls go. "Big smiles, ladies."

I made sure to smile once more, though my cheeks were starting to hurt.

"Wait!" Robbie ran from Kol's grasp. "I wanna be in the picture, too!"

We had to wait for Caroline to place Robbie just where she wanted him, before we could take the picture. Kol shot me a pair of thumbs up and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"What about me?" Mikael, an eleven year old carbon copy of his father, ran in looking for Robert and upon finding him, realized that he was being left out of this picture.

"Alright, you too, Captain America," Caroline waved him over.

I had an arm around Mikael, my right hand held tightly by Lilah, and my other arm around Robbie, hand grasped by Leah.

"Smile!" Caroline grinned as she snapped the pictured.

It wasn't until the flashes went off simultaneously that I realized she wasn't the only one that had broken out the camera.

"Wait one more with all of you!" Darren pushed Rebekah and Matt towards us, and Leah let go of my hand to drag Kol over.

Kol had Leah in his left arm, his right arm around me. Rebekah was pushed in next to me, Matt to her right with Lilah in his right arm. Mikael and Robert were squeezed into the front in between Rebekah and me.

We took a few more pictures before Caroline finally gave her consent for us to disperse.

"Uncle Kol, do you like my princess dress?" Leah tugged on his sleeve as he put her down.

"Oh yes, you look wonderful," Kol told her. "The glitter on me…not so much." He dusted the silver glitter from her Cinderella dress from his sleeves.

"What about mine, Uncle Kol?" Lilah came up on his other side to show off her pink and purple Rapunzel dress.

"Yeah, you too, Lilah," He nodded before turning back to me.

I smirked at him amusedly. "And what about me, Uncle Kol?" I teased him, hands on my hips.

He gave me a 'really?' look and extended his hand to me.

I shook my head at him. "Oh no, I'm not leaving until I get an answer."

"Uncle Kol, who's prettier, Sara or us?" Leah asked him, her brown eyes twinkling in a way not unlike her father's.

"Yeah, who?" Lilah echoed.

Kol let out a sigh. "Well now you've got me caught between a rock and a hard place."

"We're waiting," Leah tapped her foot impatiently, Lilah crossed her arms.

He looked at me for some help, but I kept my gaze even.

"Girls," He squeaked. "You know I can't answer that…"

Both of them gave him rather menacing looks. "Why not?"

"Because…." He trailed off. Suddenly, there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Somebody," He gave them a wink. "Might get a little jealous, if you know what I mean."

My jaw dropped in feigned dismay, but the girls gasped.

"Uncle Kol!" They shrieked. "You're s'posed to tell your wife that she's the prettiest girl in the room."

"In the whole world!" Leah continued.

"The universe!" Lilah added.

Kol looked thoroughly confused. Apparently it wasn't what they wanted to hear. He shook his head. "I will never understand women."

"You have to 'pologize," They pushed him towards me. "Tell her you're sorry and that she's the most beautifulest girl you've ever seen."

"Alright, alright," He held up his hands in defeat, stopping just short of my skirt.

"I'm sorry?" He smiled amusedly and frankly, I couldn't take him seriously in that mask.

"Apology accepted," I bowed my head in acceptance.

"Alright girls, that's enough terrorizing your uncle for one night," Darren finally appeared to take the two meddling princesses.

"But we want Uncle Kol to take us trick-or-treating," They protested. "Please," They begged, their best puppy looks on display.

Kol exchanged a look with me before I gave him a nod of approval.

"Tell you what," He crouched down to their height. "It's five o'clock right now. We'll be back at about eight, and I'd be happy to take you around the block then. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Okay!" They both threw their arms around his neck in joy.

"Don't worry, Elijah and I will tire them out for you. They won't even make it around the block once." Darren clasped his arm before taking each girl by the hand.

"I found them!" Elijah rushed in, two tiaras in his hands. "Aww, did I miss the pictures?" His face fell a little in disappointment.

"My crown!" The girls ran over to him, taking the tiaras from his hand.

"Yes, next time don't shove them to the bottom of the toy chest, please." He said as he straightened Leah's tiara.

Darren poked him, "Check these four out."

"Wow," Elijah smiled. "You like to go all out, don't you?"

The girls proudly informed him that Kol and I would be returning to trick-or-treat with them.

We arrived at the hospital a little after five thirty, leaving us with just enough time to take part in dinner and mingle with the people there. The ball was held in the new ballroom that had only been completed last year, an addition to the hospital for large events like this one.

Kol and I received quite a few compliments on costume. Surprisingly, Matt and Rebekah's was also a hit.

"Forgive me for not telling you earlier, but you're the '_most beautifulest_' girl in the room. Dare I say the universe right now?" He was quite the romantic when he wanted to be.

"Well when you say it like that," I couldn't help but smile. "I suppose I'll just _have_ _to _forgive you."

A touching toast was given by some of the older patients, in memory of those who had been lost in the past year. I got a little teary eyed, as did Rebekah, but Kol remained rather stoic.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" I squeezed his hand as his expression had descended into a look somewhere between menace and contemplation. "Kol?" It took him a second before he responded.

"I think I need some air," He slipped away, cape flying behind him. "I'll be back."

"O-okay," I didn't think he wanted to be followed, so I let him be.

It wasn't as though I would have drowned in awkwardness without him, on the contrary, I ran into some friends of my parents, and had quite a lengthy conversation with them. But when he had been gone for the better part of half an hour, I decided to go looking for him.

I stopped to ask Rebekah if she knew where he had gone, but she said she wasn't sure.

"He isn't very fond of this place," She shrugged, her eyes not meeting mine. "Though he has been volunteering here quite often since he's returned, so I'm not sure."

I was a little surprised. He hadn't mentioned anything about the hospital or volunteering. I wasn't sure if I needed to be a bit disappointed that he hadn't told me, after all, if he didn't tell me, it was for a reason, right?

I wandered the halls of the hospital, until I met a nurse. I asked her if she knew who Kol Mikaelson was and whether or not she had seen him. Luckily, she knew who I was looking for and told me that she had just seen him on the seventh floor, where she had just come from. I thanked her and took the elevator to the seventh floor.

When I reached the seventh floor, the silver elevator doors opened, to reveal a brightly lit open reception area. Unfortunately, there was no one at the desk for me to ask about Kol, so instead I picked the hallway to the right and proceeded with my search.

Despite the cheery colors and the brightness of the lights, I couldn't help but feel like they were trying to overcompensate for something. It only took one glance towards the ceiling for me to confirm my suspicions.

The sign read simply "Oncology, 7th floor" in bright blue letters against a yellow backdrop, sorry attempts at making it feel a little more cheery.

The clicks of my heels were the only sounds as I travelled down the hallway of closed doors and windows with blinds shut tightly. I couldn't help but think of the terminally ill children that were most likely concealed from my view, a feeling of nausea threatening to overtake me.

I felt as though I was going to crazy if I didn't find my way out of there, when suddenly I rounded a corner into a large play area enclosed behind glass. The walls were painted to look as though it were a playground outside, and except for the fact that it wasn't outside, it definitely felt that way. There was a jungle gym with a slide and various tricycles and other toys littered the squishy play mat on the floor. In the rear corner there was a huge faux tree built out of some synthetic material meant to resemble bark. The trunk of the tree was hollow for a large seat, several rows of "logs" made from some sort of squishy filling material. It was something along the lines of a forest classroom.

Several children took the spaces on the logs, and others spilled over onto bean bags and the floor. Their attention was captivated by the man sitting in the hollow of the tree, his cape spilling across the seat, a child on either side of him, one of which was proudly displaying the book that was being read to them.

It was only when the little girl sitting to his right tugged on the scarf wrapped around her head that I noticed that most of the children were bald, if not balding, or had scarves around their heads.

"You can go in if you'd like," I jumped as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to find a kind looking nurse smiling at me. She must've been in her late thirties, maybe early forties, her dark brown locks were pulled into a ponytail with a white ribbon to hold her hair back and smile lines only just creasing the corners of her eyes. "You're with Kol, aren't you?"

I nodded slowly. "Does he do this often?"

She straightened her purple Minnie Mouse scrubs before replying. "He's one of our regulars. The kids love him. We love having him. He's such a wonderful distraction for some of them."

"Some of them?"

She sighed a little, a tired sigh of many years. "Some of those kids in there are in a lot of pain. We try to make them as comfortable as possible, but we can only do so much. Our volunteers are such a big help."

I turned to look at Kol again, but he didn't even notice me.

"I'm Isabella, by the way. I'm the head nurse." She touched my arm gently. "If you need anything, just ask for me. It was nice meeting you, Sara."

I didn't have time to ask her how she knew my name before she hurried down the hall. I decided that it was probably best to make my presence known, so I pushed open the glass door quietly, slipping into the playroom unnoticed.

He was just finishing the book, so they all clapped joyfully. I joined in, applauding politely. It was only then that he noticed me standing awkwardly in the back. I gave him a little wave, but made no move to pull him away.

"I love that story," A little girl in the front commented. "Can we hear it again?"

"We've already read it twice, Anna," Kol reminded her.

"But we like it!" A group of children called from one of the logs.

His lips slowly spread into one of his amused smiles, but he looked at me for approval. "Is that alright?" He asked me, his gaze innocent.

I nodded as I moved to sit in one of the little chairs from a table strewn with crayons, markers, and construction paper. "Sure, I'd love to hear it again."

A young boy of about six popped up beside him. "She said yes, now read it, please."

Kol smiled. "Alright, but only once more. After that, I think it's time for all of you to go back to your rooms, as it's almost your bedtime."

The children gave a whine of protest before agreeing to his conditions. I sat patiently and waited for him to finish the story. It just so happened that it was a fairytale, your typical prince and princess love story, but they loved it anyway.

After the story I went with Kol to lead several of the younger ones back to their rooms.

"Goodnight," He would wave to them as they went off. Once the last one was returned, he took my hand again.

"Sorry I ran off. I just…needed some space for a few minutes."

"It's alright." I shrugged. "I didn't know you did this kind of stuff.

He gave a little shrug of his shoulders. "I do a lot of it actually. I don't mind it, I actually kind of like it."

I nodded. "You're good with this kind of stuff."

"Come on," He squeezed my hand. "I want you to meet someone."

"Oh?" I shuffled along as he pulled me down a different set of hallways.

I had no idea where we were going, but I followed him anyway. We stopped in a much more subdued section of the floor. Gone were the flowers and butterflies that had once adorned the walls. The bright colors were kept, but it wasn't as…juvenile.

It was room 246, the blinds were shut, but there was light seeping through the cracks. Kol knocked and waited to receive a response.

"Come in," A voice called from behind the door, and Kol pushed it open.

"Hey man, how's it going?"

There was a boy of about 17 or 18 sitting on the bed, the hospital gown hanging from his thin frame. His mocha complexion and tight short curls suited his bright smile well.

"Kol, hey!" His face absolutely lit up. "It's goin' alright."

"That's great, are you ready to fly the coop?" Kol clasped him on the shoulder like an old friend.

"Heck yeah, I've been ready for years." I noticed the various machines that were hooked to him, and well…how sick he looked.

"Sorry, I know this looks really scary, but it's not as bad as it looks." The boy acknowledged my presence, his smile fading only slightly. "I'm Perry, by the way. Perry Brown, at your service."

It took me a second to stop staring; I knew it was rude, so I averted my eyes instinctively. "Sorry," I managed.

"Oh, that was rude of me. I'm sorry. Perry, I'd like you to meet my…uhm…Sara." Kol introduced me.

I went over to shake his hand. "Hi Perry, it's nice to meet you."

"This is a real honor," He pumped my arm in his vigorous handshake. "I'm a really big fan."

Now I was surprised.

"I watched the benefit concert that you gave last year for the hospital." He explained. "You're kind of a big deal around here."

"Oh," I nodded. "I don't remember seeing you there. You should have demanded to see me."

He shook his head. "I was on lockdown. No outside world after the transplant, so I couldn't leave my room."

I blinked, trying to take it all in. Just how sick was this poor boy?

"I-I'm sorry," I didn't really know how to respond.

Perry shook his head. "No, I'm much better now. I'm going home in a few days."

I nodded, unsure if they were lying to him or if he just hadn't seen himself in a mirror.

"Perry here's our newest addition to the label, aren't you kid?" Kol tried to diffuse the tension.

"Seriously?" His eyes widened in joy. "Really?"

"Yeah man, you've got the okay." Kol nodded to him. "We record next week, if that's cool with your parents."

"You bet it'll be!" His joy was contagious. "This is gonna be amazing!"

I couldn't help but smile. Kol explained to me that Perry had given him a few of the scores that he had written, and his brothers liked it so much that they were going to give him a contract to record them professionally.

"That's great," I nodded in encouragement. I was genuinely happy for him.

We stayed a few minutes more, before wishing him a goodnight. Kol told him that he would be in touch and couldn't wait to meet with him on the outside.

"He seems like a good kid," I nodded as we returned down the hall.

"Yeah, he's…he's great." Kol agreed.

"I can't wait to hear what he's got."

"It's pretty good. The One Last Wish Foundation contacted us just a few months ago, asking if we would be willing to work with him. There was no way we could have turned him down."

I stopped. "The One Last Wish Foundation?"

Kol gave a small nod, turning to me but not meeting my eyes. "When he said he was going home, he didn't mean because he was getting better. Not really."

"Hospice?" I asked quietly, almost afraid to hear the confirmation for this boy that was still so young.

He didn't have to answer for me to know that I was right.

We continued down the hallway, Kol as silent as ever. It was strange to not have him making snide remarks beside me, but considering our current setting, I definitely understood.

We had reached a hallway lined with various frames with pictures of children. I was amused to find that it was something of a hall of fame. In this case however, the children had awards for everything from Best Stick Figure Artist to Bravest Chemo Patient of the Year.

It was picture of a little boy, no more than nine or ten that caught my eye. He had unruly brown hair, a button nose, a mischievous smile, and eyes that struck me as far too familiar. The face overall, was a mini Kol. If not for the darker hair, I might have mistaken him for Kol. It was only when I read the name that I understood.

_Best Smile_

_Henrik Mikaelson_

"Kol?" I turned to find that he wasn't anywhere near me, but rather still at the entrance to the hallway. "What're you doing all the way over there? Come here."

His eyes held what appeared to be almost terror. I felt worry begin to crease my forehead as he slowly came over to me.

"Henrik?" I asked him quietly.

He didn't say anything for a long time. He just stared at the frame on the wall, as if wishing it would speak for him, willing it to tell me itself so he wouldn't have to explain.

"That's my little brother," He replied finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

I waited for more, unsure if it would come. I had never seen him this way before. He was so…sad. His eyes had lost all joy and hope, they appeared distant and vacant. It was only when I touched his hand that he came back.

"He was just nine then. He had leukemia." He struggled to put together those two miniscule sentences.

I vaguely remembered Rebekah showing me the family portraits, large oil paintings of each of her siblings hung in one of their private galleries. I had noticed an abnormally empty spot after hers and inquired about it, but she simply said that the painting had been removed. I got the impression that she didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't press for more. This must've been the missing portrait.

I didn't ask him for more, but he continued anyway.

"The doctors said that he would get better, maybe even cured if he got a bone marrow transplant. Siblings are typically better matches than parents, so all of us were tested. It just so happened that I was the closest match. So we did the transplant, it took weeks of preparation, and then months of waiting afterward. It looked like we were in the clear. Henrik was getting better, stronger. He looked healthier overall." He paused to take a breath.

"And then he caught a cold. It was completely out of the blue, the doctors were completely baffled as to how it could have happened. He was under total quarantine. But it happens. His immune system had been destroyed, so there was no way for him to fight it. The infection from a cough that came later spread into his lungs and he got pneumonia. It was all downhill from there. He was such a great kid, he didn't deserve it."

I realized then, that Kol's eyes had welled with tears that were threatening to spill over at any moment. His voice had grown thick with emotion, and no amount of his swallowing was going to help.

"Oh, Kol," I wrapped my arms around him tightly. I felt him shake, before he elicited what sounded like a choked sob. "Shhh," I stroked his hair.

"I wish I could have taken it away," He choked. "I wish I could have done more."

"There's nothing you could have done," I held him tighter in an effort to hold onto his shaking form. "It was out of your control."

"I was supposed to save him," His voice hitched on the last two words. I tried to look at him, but he wouldn't let me. "I was his hero, and I didn't save him."

I rubbed his back, attempting to sooth him. "It's not your fault Kol. He was a sick little boy. There's nothing that you could have done."

"Look at me," I forced him to look at me. It was shocking to see this usually poised, cocky, man so broken. His hazel eyes red and puffy, cheeks stained with tear tracks. "It's not your fault, okay?"

"It should have been me," He said quietly averting his eyes.

So he had finally let me in. He was baring his soul to me, and I began to understand him.

I let him finish, there was no use arguing with him when he was that far gone. He managed to compose himself long enough to make it back to the car. I sent Rebekah a text that we were going home earlier than expected, and that we would be waiting for them back at the house. I was thankful that we had travelled in separate cars.

"Are you sure you can drive?" I didn't want to sound pushy, but I was worried as he closed my door. Even at his lowest he didn't forget his manners.

He nodded as he got into the driver's side. "I'm fine. I'll be okay."

We didn't speak as he drove back to the house. I simply held his hand.

"I'm not ready to go in there yet," He finally spoke as he pulled into his garage.

"Okay, that's okay. We can wait inside. It's only seven thirty." I unbuckled myself and climbed out of the car.

I was able to see just how much he had been affected when he didn't follow me. I went around to his side and opened the door. I reached around him to unbuckle his seatbelt and pulled him down from the car.

"It's gonna be okay," I squeezed him.

He gave a distant nod before going into the house. I followed behind him, making sure to close the garage and lock the door.

He mentioned wanting to be alone for a few minutes, so I took it as my opportunity to go see Alyssa.

"Wait," He stopped me before I could open the door. "You're coming back, aren't you?"

"If you want me to, then yes." I nodded.

He gave a small nod. "Don't take your car, take mine." He pressed his keys into my hand.

I gave him a look of confusion.

"You won't fit in yours with that dress." He explained.

I nodded. "Alright, I'll be back. You do what you need to do."

He didn't say anything; much less acknowledge my presence as I went back toward the garage. Instead he just stood staring out of the picture window at the front towards the main house. Moonlight illuminated the angel of music as he stayed at the window, tears glistening in his eyes. The pain was evident, but he didn't want me there to soothe him. Not yet anyway. I left feeling helpless and a tiny bit unwelcome. I knew he would come around, but I wished there was some way that I could have helped him. Suddenly, I began to understand his feeling of helplessness.

He had been forced to stand around and watch his brother die. For someone like Kol who was so controlling, so demanding, so protective, it must've been excruciating.

The drive to the Salvatore house was short, just a few minutes, pretty fast considering I had to watch for trick-or-treaters. I found a parking spot across the street and sent her a text that I was outside. She came bounding out onto the porch as I walked up the driveway.

"Oh my gosh, you look like a queen," She squealed as she ran to hug me.

I patted her on the back. "Thanks."

She demanded that I give her a 360 degree view, so I had to spin around. Damon came out onto the porch and commented on my costume choice.

"Isn't that a bit much?" He leaned against one of the posts.

I gave him an annoyed look. "It's never a bit much. You don't half-ass Phantom."

"Seems a bit lonely if it's just Christine, though…"

I studied him, but he didn't seem to show any signs of knowing. Still, I couldn't help but be a little suspicious.

"So have you taken the full costume around the block yet?" I turned back to Alyssa. She was dressed in black tights and a black long sleeved top, but she was actually a bag of jelly beans. When complete, she would have clear cellophane wrapped around her to form a sort of bag, inflated water balloons for jelly beans. She had sent me a picture earlier, and it was utterly adorable.

"Not yet, Dad was just about to take me out." She shook her head.

I waved her on, "Well don't let me keep you! Go get your costume on and have some fun!"

"Wait, I want you to see me in it," She instructed me to wait while she went into the house to put it on.

Damon returned with an NYU sweatshirt and a flashlight in his hand.

"You always did love Halloween," He commented softly.

"Not like I loved Christmas, though. I can't wait for that," I reminded him.

He nodded. "Oh yes, I remember now. The Christmas songs year round. They drove me crazy." The faintest hint of a smile traced his mouth.

"Yeah, that definitely still happens," I, too, nodded. "Luckily my mother shares my love for the holiday."

His eyes flashed for a second. Was it anger?

I kicked myself a little, but then I reminded myself that there was no need to please him. He wasn't _really_ my friend, right? Those memories of bygone holidays needed to fade with time. They would have to go away eventually, right? They would stop haunting my present holidays someday.

"Do you remember the year we went to China for the New Year?" He asked suddenly, his gaze distant, as if he was reliving the memory.

I sighed. It would never stop. "How could I forget? It was the coolest New Year ever."

"It was, wasn't it?" He returned to me. His blue eyes held a sort of sadness that was difficult to describe.

"How many kids get to say that they've gone to the big New Year's festival in Hong Kong?"

"Not too many," He agreed with a nod just as Alyssa stepped out onto the porch.

She was closely followed by Stefan, the latter of whom completely caught me off guard.

"Whoa," Stefan stopped dead in his tracks. He was dressed in was appeared to be his representation of Clyde Barrow. It was surprisingly spot on for what I had previously pictured.

I crossed my arms half out of embarrassment that I hadn't come as Bonnie and half due to the gust of wind that had come by and chilled me.

"Uhm…so I decided to go as Christine Daae…" I rubbed my arm nervously, sort of afraid to look at him.

Before I could work up the courage to look at him, he was by my side. His hand gently enclosed over my tricep, warming me instantly.

"We're going to let you two work this out," Damon hurriedly ushered Alyssa past us.

I turned to wave to her. "Bye Lyss, have fun! You look great! Knock 'em dead, kiddo!"

She nodded, but her usually smiling face looked at us with worry.

I grimaced for a second as I realized that I had just used a phrase that I hadn't heard in over a decade. It wasn't something that I wished to repeat, so I made mental note to avoid it.

I gave myself a second to compose myself before turning to Stefan.

"I'm feeling kind of stupid right now…" He stared at his shoes.

I knew I had to do some _serious _damage control now. "No, why? I absolutely love it!" I hugged him tightly.

He pushed me away, not unkindly, but enough to get the point across.

"Let's not lie to each other," He cut to the chase. "Who went as the Phantom?"

I bit my lip. Alright, so I wasn't giving him enough credit here. He was smart enough to put two and two together, coming to the conclusion that I probably wouldn't touch such an iconic character without the other half. He was also able to see that Kol would have no problem subbing for him if necessary at any time.

"Do I really have to answer that?" I wanted to avoid any mention of Kol if possible.

His eyes glanced at me, though he didn't look up. "Maybe I should have dressed as Raoul…"

I knew it wasn't meant to be funny, but I let out a small snort involuntarily. I apologized almost instantly. "Oh god, I'm sorry. That's not funny. It really isn't. I'm sorry."

He smirked; it wasn't necessarily because he was amused, more because he was accepting his defeat.

"Did you have fun?" He finally looked at me.

How to answer that? I couldn't very well tell him that Kol had suffered something along the lines of a breakdown. "It depends on what your definition of fun is…"

Stefan gave a short nod, his jaw set into his thinking expression. "Judging by your noncommittal answer, I'm going to take that as a no. Good."

It was my turn to take a step back. I didn't think he was going to play that ruthlessly.

"Not good that you didn't have a good time, but…" He held his hands up to show me that he hadn't meant it in an offensive way. "I'm just…glad I don't have a high bar to exceed."

Well that changed things quite a bit.

"Sorry, just…I'm a little competitive in case you haven't noticed," Stefan shook his head in apology. "Not to make you sound like you're a trophy or anything…"

At this my eyebrows went up. I thought that Kol would argue otherwise.

He facepalmed. "Oh god, what am I saying? You're not…a material possession, if you get what I'm saying. Not that you're not a prize."

"Uh-huh…" I eyed him, feigning suspicion.

"Geez, I'm sorry! I had a few drinks with the executives. I'm definitely starting to feel it now. I'm sorry, I've lost track of where I was going with this."

It was rather amusing to watch him struggle like this. He was kind of cute when drunk.

"You were telling me that I'm no prize," I reminded him with a poke to his chest.

He nodded. "Right, right." He realized his mistake and his eyes widened. "No! That's not what I meant! Ugh…maybe I should just stop."

Now it was my turn to smirk at him. "I think it's best if you stay in for the rest of the night. Get some rest, we can discuss this later when you're thinking properly and not insulting me."

"I'm sorry," He held my shoulders. "I really didn't mean that. I just get the teeniest bit jealous when you're with…what's his name."

"Kol…" I prompted gently.

"Yeah, yeah," He nodded. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have judged you."

I was pulled into his embrace and sheltered from the chilly October air. "Don't worry about it."

"Cassie is coming next weekend for sure. What do you say if you and I meet her in Laguna and stay there for the night? Just you and I and a beachfront room. Even if she decides to postpone again, it'll still be a nice micro-vacation."

I sighed. Why the hell not? If I was going to be a pendulum, I might as well swing all the way. "I'd like that."

I made sure that he got back into the house and was going straight to bed before returning to Kol's. The clock was just chiming eight as I walked back into his house.

"Kol?" I called cautiously as I stepped into the living room.

He hadn't moved from his place by the window. Not an inch.

"Kol?" I asked again as I touched his shoulder. I wasn't sure how he would react, as I had never experienced anything like this. "Are you alright?"

He gave a short nod before turning to me. "Halloween was Henrik's favorite holiday."

"Oh, I didn't know."

Kol shrugged. "I'll be alright. Just give me a second."

I didn't mention the fact that he had the better part of half an hour to compose himself. I didn't know what it was like to lose a sibling, much less mourn the death of someone close, so I wasn't going to push him.

"What time is it?" He asked rather suddenly.

"It's eight." I informed him; apparently he hadn't heard the clock.

He nodded, and moved to take my hand. "I'm sure Leah and Lilah are expecting us. We should go."

I was a bit worried about him, that he could go from this intense pain, to pushing it all aside like it didn't matter. But maybe that's what happens thirteen years after losing your brother. You learn to cope.

It turned out that Leah and Lilah were, in fact, eagerly awaiting our arrival. Now they had their princess tiaras and pink and purple candy buckets in hand.

"Let's go, let's go!" They insisted nearly the second we walked in the door.

Elijah handed me their pink hoodies. "Hold your horses,"

"They've gone all over town," Darren explained. "Frankly, we didn't think that they'd last that long."

"We purposefully left a block untouched, just you. The odds that they'll make it all the way around…" Elijah trailed off as he watched the girls eagerly bouncing up and down.

"Pretty slim," Darren agreed.

"Fantastic, so we'll say about an hour tops?" Kol confirmed with his brother.

They both nodded. "If they make it that long."

Just as we were going to leave, Kol turned back.

"Do you have a torch?" He asked them. "I'm not sure how dark it is in the neighborhood."

Elijah and Darren cackled. "A torch!"

"Oh brother, you spent far too long in England." Elijah slapped him on the back before handing him a flashlight.

Kol grimaced. "Flashlight," He corrected himself as he took it.

"Have fun!" They called to us as we went around the house and down the paved circular driveway.

The girls had no problem informing us just which block it was that they had missed, and as soon as we were past the gates, they led us in the right direction.

When we were about halfway through the block, I began to shiver, wishing that I had brought my coat.

"Are you cold?" Kol had barely finished his question when he was already slipping his cape off.

I welcomed the soft fabric around me, still warm from his body. "Thanks."

The girls insisted upon walking ahead with the "torch," as they now called it. Kol had put an arm around me in an effort to warm me up. Just as Elijah and Darren had predicted, they didn't make it around the block.

"Uncle Kol, will you carry me?" Lilah tugged on the sleeve of her uncle's black tuxedo jacket.

"Me too," Leah demanded, raising her arms in waiting.

Kol and I exchanged a look.

"Sure, but put your jackets on first. It's cold outside." He helped them into their jackets as they each handed me their candy buckets.

"Aww, but I'm a princess," Leah protested as Kol reached around her to zip up the hoodie. His fingers worked expertly on the tiny zippers of their hoodies.

He took one into each arm and carried them easily. "Yes, but you can still be a princess with a jacket on."

They pouted as we returned in the direction we came from.

"Don't give me those looks," He shook his head in amusement. "Your Papa will have my head if you get sick."

By the time we walked back, they were no longer jabbering away, but rather dozing off on his shoulders. The walk wasn't at all far, but the girls were tired out. Elijah and Darren welcomed us upon arrival.

"What did we say, they wouldn't last a block!" Darren took Leah from Kol as Elijah reached over and took Lilah.

"No, but they certainly put up a fight when it came to putting on their jackets," Kol commented as he brushed the glitter from their dresses off of his jacket.

Elijah took the candy buckets from me, gleefully informing me that the girls would be lucky to even see a third of it.

"Oh my," I shook my head. At least they wouldn't be wrecking more havoc upon the Mikaelson Manor than usual due to a sugar high.

Upon returning to the guesthouse, I figured that it would be best to leave him some peace, so I started to gather my things, but he stopped me.

"Don't," His hand came down over mine as I reached for my coat. I looked at him questioningly, unsure if he wanted me to stay longer.

"I…" He paused, unsure of what to say. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to stay."

My eyebrows went up in surprise. "Are you sure?"

His mouth twitched in uncertainty. "I don't really want to be alone tonight."

I took a breath, unsure of how to respond to this strange invitation. Things were so different from the last time that I had stayed. So much more complicated. Did he really want the company or was he simply looking for a different type of distraction?

"I didn't bring any other clothes," I avoided looking at him.

"This wouldn't be the first time," He shrugged.

I felt horrible for thinking this way, but I just didn't want that to happen tonight. Not like this. What if he just needed someone? Couldn't he just ask one of his siblings? Why wouldn't he let them in, too?

Before I could stop myself, my brain worked faster than my mouth. "I'm not a call girl."

Instantly, I regretted it. I hadn't meant for it to come out like that. It wasn't at all what I meant, not really.

"I'm sorry," I slapped my hands over my mouth. "That's not what I meant."

There was a hurt look in his eyes. "Is that really what you thought I was asking for?"

I couldn't meet his eyes.

"Did you really think that I was looking for _sex_ at a time like this?"

I shook my head. "No, no. Kol, I'm sorry."

He took a step back, not letting me touch him. "Is that really what you think of me?"

This was going to be a tough one to dig myself out of.

"No, absolutely not," I managed to reach out and take his hand. "I just… you never ask me to stay. That's all."

He finally looked at me, though the hurt expression wasn't entirely gone.

"I guess you're right," He gave a slow nod. "If you don't want to stay, you don't have to. I understand if you've already made…other plans."

There was no way that I could leave now, even if I wanted to. He resembled something of a kicked puppy, and I went to embrace him.

"Now where would I go, when I have you here?" I looked up at him.

For a second, his eyes lit up in relief, if not gratitude, before returning to their previous darkened state.

Somehow, we ended up in his room, his lips hungrily attacking mine as my fingers entangled themselves in his hair. It didn't take long for me to be spun around as he pressed light kisses into my collarbone, his fingers travelling down my back as he loosened the corset bodice.

I found myself letting out a gasp, partially because I felt the dress slipping and also because I wasn't counting on him suddenly leaving.

Alright, so he said he didn't want sex, yet here we were. Or rather, there I was, standing alone in his bedroom, my dress halfway off, my shoes long cast towards some other corner.

"Kol?" I called, but he was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was going to go looking for him, he returned.

He apologized for his absence as he reentered. "Sorry, I just remembered that I had something for you."

He held out a flat rectangular black box, a caramel colored ribbon wrapped around opposite edges of the box, a bow tied into the top right corner.

I cocked an eyebrow at him as I noticed the "LA PERLA" logo embossed in gold lettering on the front of the box.

"I know, it looks horrible after what I said, but it isn't what you think it is." He reassured me. "I was actually saving this for…I don't know…a special occasion or something. It looked like something you would wear. I dunno. I suppose you should just have it now, seeing as you probably don't want to stay in that dress all night."

I was shooed into the bathroom before I could as much as pull at the ribbon. Admittedly, I was very intrigued as I set the box onto the granite countertop in front of the mirror. As I pulled at the ribbon and removed the lid, I could feel excitement coursing through me.

It certainly didn't help that he had left me feeling a little hot and bothered, but I couldn't help but find underlying meaning in the contents of the box. I gingerly lifted the delicate silk camisole from the tissue paper, fingering the soft fabric and lace.

When I emerged, clad in the camisole and little shorts, he was stretched out on the grey sheets of his bed. I tried not to stare at the tight heather grey t-shirt that clung to his biceps and torso.

"Hey," He sat up.

"Hi," I gave him a little wave from where I leaned against the doorway. I awkwardly crossed my arms around myself in an effort to stop the goose bumps that were beginning to form on my arms.

My skin felt electrified as he stood to pull me over to him, the palms of his warm hands sent currents through me. He set me gently on the bed before sliding in beside me.

I curled into his side, resting my cheek against the soft fabric on his shoulder, as he reached over to turn off the lights. He made sure that the duvet covered me before putting his arm around me to hold me.

I could feel his heart beating steadily under the palm of my hand on his chest. His distinct scent of musky cologne and aftershave enveloped me, making feel strangely comforted and welcome.

"Thank you," He said suddenly, his fingers gently massaging my scalp. "For staying."

The circular patterns that he was tracing in my hair felt good after having had it pulled back in clips all day.

"Of course," I snuggled in closer.

There was a sense of security that I felt, laying there in his arms. As though nothing bad could ever come to harm me—he wouldn't allow it. In turn, I kept my arm around him, resting on his chest in an attempt to metaphorically block any more pain from him today. The faint beating of his heart under my palm was oddly soothing, a reminder really, that it was real. It wasn't long before his breathing deepened into the shallow breaths of sleep, and he began to snore softly, the sound lulling me into my own slumber.

The morning sunlight filtering in through the curtains gently nudged me awake, though I found that I was quite comfortable and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Kol's soft snores tickled my ear; his arm still wrapped around me, tightened slightly as I moved.

I decided not to wake him and instead stayed locked in his embrace. It wasn't long before he began to stir, awakening with a stretch and a yawn.

"Good morning, sunshine," I turned to look at him.

Surprisingly, I found him to be incredibly attractive with his bedhead and sleepy eyes.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a lazy smile. "'Morning," He mumbled, his voice still thick from sleep.

We stayed like that for a few minutes longer before deciding that it would probably be best to get up. He wanted to shower, so I took the opportunity to make breakfast. I made a batch of pancakes, his in-home stereo system providing a soundtrack as I scrambled around the kitchen in one of his sweatshirts and a pair of his flip flops.

I was just setting the pancakes onto plates as he appeared in the doorway, his hair still damp. He smirked as he watched me deposit a stack of three onto each plate.

"Breakfast?" I held up one of the plates.

He gave a nod as he went to retrieve a glass from the cupboard. "You didn't have to do that."

I shrugged. "Why not?"

As usual, breakfast was quiet, the slow stream of conversation maintained. It was just so easy. It wasn't something that I would have been opposed to becoming a regular occurrence.

We made a good team—he washed, and I dried and put away the dishes. He caught me by surprise as I was putting away the last glass tumbler.

His arms snaked around me in a surprise embrace that I certainly wasn't expecting.

"You're too good for me," He said softly into the hair just above my ear. "You know that, don't you?"

I reached a hand back to cup the back of his neck in an effort to keep him there. The small breath that I released was halfway between a sigh of understanding and of…almost pity.

Of course he didn't think he deserved this. Any of this. He had lived for over a decade with the weight of his little brother's death on his shoulders—a cross he shouldn't have had to bear. The constant shame, guilt, blame he felt had worn him down, warped him into something, someone that he really wasn't. He didn't want to be estranged Kol or secretive Kol; he was like that because it was his way of coping with his guilt. Some people never really make it through the seven stages of grief. Sure, maybe Kol understood that his brother was dead, but he had never really left the guilt stage.

I ran a hand through the soft locks near the nape of his neck. "I'll let you keep thinking that…until you realize otherwise."

I felt his mouth curve up into a slight smile. "Will you come with me?"

"That depends, does it involve real clothing? I don't really think it's appropriate for me to be seen like this," I toyed with the lace hem on my silken shorts, wondering where it was that he wanted to go.

"Hmm, _I_ don't have an issue with it," His fingers met my own as they fingered the delicate hemline. "Though I can see where it might be an issue…"

I gave a small nod.

"Can't you just see the headline? 'Food Empire's Precious Heiress Scandalously Parading Across the Town with Our Most Eligible Bachelor,'" His mocking tone increasing with each word from his fabricated headline.

I rolled my eyes. Of course he was going to rub that in. "Yes, but Daddy will have your head before your mother even sees the paper," I countered. "Probably not such a good idea to threaten Alonso Vallejo's empire in any form."

"I take it you've seen the article, then." His mouth travelled down my hairline and onto my neck, causing shivers to run down my spine.

"Oh yes," I stayed very still just annoy him. "However I'd much prefer it if we appeared to be a bit more respectable, just so that I can rub it the face of all those poor unfortunate girls who have no doubt already pinned said article to their bedroom walls."

"Don't you think they'd be a bit more jealous if I kept you just like this?"

"Perhaps," I conceded a little. "But then you face the risk of my father _and_ your mother. Somehow I don't think that's a risk you'd like to take right now, is it? At least not until you're well into the good graces of my parents."

"I'm sure I could easily charm them."

"I'd like to see you try."

"So invite me over for dinner." He was ghosting light kisses along my bare collarbone.

"Mm," I let out a small involuntary moan. "You're going to have to try a little harder than that."

"I'll find a way," He stepped in front of me suddenly. He was so close; I could very nearly taste his lips on mine. "Don't worry."

I was shocked when he abruptly released me, leaving me trembling in need of his touch. I heard him chuckle as he went down the hall towards the staircase and I let out a growl in frustration.

"You'll pay for that," I growled as I followed him up the stairs.

"I can't wait," He leaned over the railing on the landing above me, a cheeky smile crossing his lips.

We stopped at my apartment first, as he had "graciously" allowed me to return home to change. He casually stretched out onto my couch as I went to take a quick shower.

"I'd say make yourself at home but…" I found him laid out quite comfortably on the long couch, lazily flipping through the channels.

"There's nothing on," He complained, not making any move to sit up.

I rolled my eyes as I whipped my wet hair forward to towel dry it. "What do you expect, it's Sunday morning."

"Hey!" He sat up hurriedly. "I already took a shower this morning. I'm not interested in another one quite so soon, much less with water from your hair."

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" I gave him a teasing glare before returning to the bathroom to dry my hair.

It took me about an hour in total, but soon we were on our way to this mysterious place or thing, or whatever it was that he wanted me to see. We took a quick detour just before heading onto the freeway. I found it a little strange that he stopped a local florist, but I didn't say anything. I didn't figure it out until later anyway.

The drive was quiet, though not tensely so. I could sense that he didn't really want to talk about it, so I spared him my questions. The music on his phone blared through the surround sound system in the car, providing an adequate amount of noise to the otherwise silent car.

When the previous vocally heavy song was replaced by a purely piano track, my ears perked up. It was unlike anything we had listened to the past twenty minutes. I only became more intrigued when a string overlay came in.

"Oh, you don't want to listen to that," His hand went to change the track.

I reached out to stop him before he could change it. "Why not? I like it, what is it?"

He grimaced a little. "It's not finished yet."

"That didn't answer my question. What is it?"

"It's a rough cut of the piece that we'll be recording with Perry this week. No vocals yet, but it's fully arranged. It's just a matter of recording."

I gave a satisfied nod. "I can't wait to hear it. Did you write it?"

"He wrote this part actually. I recorded the piano and strings so that he could get an idea of what it was going to sound like. He liked it and asked to help out with the vocals. There are still a few things that I want to change, mainly with the chorus, but otherwise it's ready."

"Do you have the lyrics? Can I see them?" I didn't want to sound pushy, but I was honestly very interested.

He pressed his lips into a line for a second before answering. "Yeah…I'll show them to you later if you really want to see them."

When he turned the corner into the cleanly paved driveway, I became aware that we had arrived. As soon as he drove through the large wrought iron gates, I realized where we were.

Despite the lush green grass and foliage, a sad attempt at making this place seem less foreboding, the air in the car suddenly grew thick with tension.

I had family here, it was nothing new, but this wasn't for me. I had been here dozens of times for various reasons, though this one seemed to be far different from any of the others.

He seemed fairly composed as he drove to the top of the hill where several family mausoleums stood. It took him a second, but eventually he stopped the engine and took the keys from the ignition.

"Kol," I touched his shoulder tentatively. "You don't have to do this if you're not ready."

He didn't look at me as he unlocked the doors and stepped out.

The air was chilly, but not frighteningly so. I pulled my coat tighter around me against the cool November breeze. The leaves were only just beginning to brown, but they would never really change colors like they did elsewhere. This wasn't the fall of my childhood. It was far different.

He seemed a little surprised to find me beside him as he stood in front of the rear passenger door; perhaps he had expected me to wait for him to open my door. I followed his line of vision to the impressively imposing marble and granite building. The family name had been carved into the white stone near the top, as if daring anyone to mistake it for that of another group. Four large pillars guarded the double door entrance, holding up the sparkling domed roof.

"Have you ever been inside?" His voice was low, as though he were struggling.

I shook my head. The one time that I had come here was for Mr. Mikaelson's funeral ten years prior. Rebekah didn't want to go inside, so I had remained outside with her, in an effort to get her to calm down.

His hand was a little clammy as he took mine, leading the way to the sparkling golden doors. The closer we got, the more intimidating it became. I could only imagine how Kol was feeling. If I had been in his position, I probably would have lost it by now.

The three steps up to the doors solidified it. He was going to through with it.

Kol easily pulled the golden metal gates with the large encircled "M" open. The doors didn't even creak. I assumed that Mrs. Mikaelson ensured that it was kept in tip top shape year round. I could imagine that such a monument would ever fall into any disrepair. Behind the metal gates was a second set of doors, this time made from a fine mahogany with frosted glass windows, angels carved ornately into the glass. It didn't surprise me that even in death, the Mikaelson family lived lavishly.

"This _will_ be locked," He muttered to himself, fumbling around in the pockets of his dark gray wool coat. His hand shook slightly as he went to put the key into the lock, fumbling as he turned it.

I had no idea what to expect inside, so I stopped him.

"Wait," I pushed him away from the door, moving to stand in front of him. "Before you go in, you have to promise me that you're ready for this."

He finally met my eyes, his hazel ones filled with a mixture of emotions that I couldn't read. I sent out a silent prayer that I be given the power to understand him despite the fact that there was so much I still didn't know about him.

"I can't let you go in there if you're going to keep blaming yourself for something that you didn't do."

His jaw clenched and unclenched before he nodded slowly.

I took his face into my hands, my thumbs cradling his jaw line. "Promise me," I begged him. "Promise me that you don't blame yourself for Henrik."

"I promise," His voice was barely above a whisper.

I took his hand again, giving it a squeeze to let him know that I wouldn't let go unless he wanted me to.

It wasn't at all what I expected. I've certainly seen my fair share of scary movies with dark and dingy crypts; dust, cobwebs, and darkness reigning over the home of the dead. But this was about the furthest thing from the movies.

The domed ceiling had a glass top, the sunlight streaming onto the marble walls, highlighting the gold lettering used for the names of their deceased family. There was not a cobweb in sight, not a speck of dust marring the pristine resting place.

"Not what you expected is it?" His voice rang through the building.

I hadn't realized that my mouth had fallen open in shock. "It's…wow."

He nodded. "It makes you look at death a little differently, doesn't it?"

Boy did it ever. I studied the names on the crypts as he pulled me along slowly. Apparently "Mikael" had always been a family name, as had Rebekah.

We came to a halt in front of one on the second tier. I could feel him start to tremble a little beside me. I gave his hand a squeeze of reassurance.

_Henrik Matthias Mikaelson_

Kol brushed the shimmering letter with his fingertips, as if making sure that they were real. He traced over the dates of his birth and death, and I saw that he had been just a baby really. Just nine years old when he died, he was taken too soon. I had never met him, and yet I felt this pain, anger, that he was gone.

"Hey buddy," Kol spoke softly, gently. "It's been…a really long time."

I took the flowers from his other hand and placed them into the ornate holder that hung beside his name. The brightly colored bouquet seemed fitting for this little boy who I imagined would have been overjoyed to see his brother visit.

"I'm sorry…" His voice hitched in his throat, and I turned to look at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. He had promised.

"He doesn't mean that," I spoke up, the sound of my voice surprising me.

"That this took so long," He finished.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Kol bowed his head, staring at his shoes with a slight smile.

"I brought someone I'd you to meet," He took my hand again. "Her name is Sara and…she's pretty special."

Stunned, I didn't know what to say. So I was special, huh?

"She's great. You would have loved her."

I couldn't look at him. The blush on my cheeks seemed to stay permanently.

"I know I do."

I gasped as my head snapped over in his direction. No, he didn't. He couldn't. Not yet.

For once, he wasn't smirking or giving one of his cynically amused looks. His eyes were genuinely sincere. And that frightened me far more than anything else there.

"H-hi Henrik," I sputtered, turning to the gold lettering on the marble. "Your brother's told me so much about you."

I let out a breath in an effort to calm my thundering heart, but it was no use.

"Hey, 'Rik," Kol used a nickname that his family had bestowed upon the child. "Perry is coming soon. Keep a look out for him. Be _his_ big brother like you used to be. He's going to need his friend again."

It suddenly all made sense. Of course he had known Perry for a long time. He'd probably been in the hospital since Henrik had been there. No wonder he felt obligated to help him, he felt like he owed it to Henrik to do this for him.

"You're still in that Hall of Fame, you know. I wouldn't let them take you down, even if they tried to."

I made a mental note to ask Rebekah or any one of his siblings about Henrik. They'd be more likely to tell me about him than Kol. Not that I didn't trust him to tell me, he probably would, but in his own time, when _he_ was ready to tell me.

"I promise I'll take care of Perry 'til you can do it yourself again. I hope you're not getting into too much trouble…up there. Take care, Buddy." He patted the stone in a sort of goodbye before turning away.

"Bye, Henrik," I gave a little wave, feeling only a little silly after. "It was nice meeting you."

Kol arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me closer. I welcomed the soft kiss that he pressed onto my forehead in thanks.

It took me a second to realize that he hadn't moved or looked up; his eyes averted as though looking at it would hurt him.

_Mikael James Mikaelson, III_

Of course he was intimidated. Kol and his father had always had a rather strained relationship. Most of the little that I had witnessed of it had been their arguments. Mr. Mikaelson was constantly chastising Kol, using his brothers as examples of what he needed to model his behavior on. Sure, Kol was often in trouble for various reasons, but I found it hard to believe that their relationship had been that atrocious so as to keep his son away.

A memory that I had forgotten about resurfaced, and I remembered a particular argument that they had. It had been on a night that Rebekah had insisted upon a sleepover to watch the latest horror movie in her collection. Mr. Mikaelson had always had quite the soft spot for his only daughter and gave his permission for our gathering easily. But the second that Kol came into his study, obviously having been previously summoned, the mood turned sour. Though Rebekah and I had waited down the hall, she was sure that her brother was in for it this time; the shouts were still very much audible. Mr. Mikaelson had questioned Kol about his latest trip to the headmaster's office. Apparently, he was not pleased to hear from the headmaster for a third time in a fortnight and he demanded to know why it was that Kol continued to act out. Kol had argued that he was nothing like his "perfect" brothers and that it would save them both a lot of trouble if they would stop trying to make him like them. Needless to say, it had ended in I-hate-you's and I-hate-all-of-this. I could vividly remember the sound a hand slapping against skin, Mr. Mikaelson shouting, "You will _not_ disgrace this family again. Do you understand me?"

The last thing I remember is Rebekah hurriedly scurrying out of the way to hide us behind a large floral arrangement as Kol hurried by, his cheeks glistening.

I turned to look a much older version of that same boy, his head hanging in shame and defeat, tears threatening to spill over in his sparkling eyes.

"Your father loved you," I held his hand in both of mine. "He might've gotten mad at you, yelled at you, and said many cruel things that I'm sure he regretted later. But you were his son. If he were here, I'm sure he'd tell you that."

Kol shook his head, the tears spilling over with the movement. "You don't know what the last thing he said to me was."

"No," I agreed with him. "But I'm sure that no matter how much you think he hated you, he didn't."

He swallowed and took a shaky breath. "I had gotten into a fight at school that night… I had been set up. The campus police had arrested me and were going to take me down to the station, but they let me call home before they took me. He was so _mad_—terrifyingly angry. He told me that he wasn't going to help me this time; that I had surpassed the limit and it was time that I learn my lesson the hard way. I begged him, promised that I would never ask for anything ever again. He told me to forget about everything, school, life, and my trust fund if I wanted to be a 'delinquent.' Before he hung up, he informed me that I was no son of his."

Kol barely managed to finish his last sentence before he crumpled to his knees. The sobs wracked his shoulders as he shook violently. Mr. Mikaelson had died of a heart attack, his weak heart most likely unable to handle the news of his son's arrest.

"I'm s-s-sorry, D-d-dad," He was only just able to string together the simple sentence.

Kol wasn't just blaming himself for Henrik's death. I realized it now. He felt responsible for his father's death as well. Considering the circumstances under which it had happened, it wasn't that big of a stretch. Still, I couldn't let him believe that he had killed his father, too.

It was all so clear now. He stayed away from his family because he was afraid of hurting them. It wasn't that he hated them or didn't want to be around them, he was only trying to protect them. Staying far away from them had been his way of protecting them. In his sort of twisted way, he thought he was keeping them safe.

I crouched down to pull him back up with me. "This isn't your fault, Kol."

"Everything I touch, everyone I love gets hurt when I'm around," He growled.

His last word echoed through the spacious building, a strangled cry from a broken boy that had only ever wanted to keep his family safe.

I tried to hold him against me to prevent him from breaking again, but it was no use. He was stronger than I was and he pushed me away. "No, I d-don't want to h-hurt you, too."

I shook my head, my eyes pleading. "Kol, you can only hurt me if you push me away."

He turned away. There was no way that I could undo years of damage, of convincing in just a few minutes. He might never fully accept that he wasn't at fault.

"I keep waiting for it to happen," His voice was regaining its previously steady tone. "I keep waiting for you to be taken away from me, too. It's going to happen. I know it is. It always does. Sometimes I wish that God would just make my life just a little bit easier and just take it all in one swipe. Then I remember that I've never been liked enough to have it that easy."

I vaguely remembered him telling me once that he hadn't set foot in a church in over a decade. That made sense now. He was angry, so very, very angry. He felt as though God had turned His back on him, so in retaliation he had turned his back on Him.

"Why?" I could barely whisper my question. I feared what his answer would be.

He let out a harsh laugh. "I used to ask myself the very same question. But when I got no answers, I stopped asking. There was no one who could answer it, no door for me to bang on and demand an answer."

"God works in mysterious ways, Kol. I'm not going to leave you," I reached out to touch his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, not if I can help it."

"That's just it," He shook his head. "You can't help it."

I closed my eyes and took a breath. I hadn't realized just how terribly broken he was. If I previously thought that _my_ life was one big broken mess, I certainly didn't now. At least my parents were alive and well and I didn't have to live with self-imposed guilt. At least my family hadn't suffered any major losses in several years. At least I still had Damon and Alyssa and Stefan and the Salvatores. At least I had Kol.

"No, but I can certainly try, now can't I?" I turned him and forced him to accept me.

We stayed like that for a long time, his arms frozen around me, cold and distant. I don't know how long it was, but when he had finally composed himself, he led the way back to the car. I offered to drive back, but he turned me down for the second time.

The drive home felt eternal with its silence. He wouldn't look at me, not even when he dropped me off. I tried to reach him again as he pulled into the parking spot in the garage, but he recoiled.

"Kol, don't shut me out," I told him before getting out of the car. "Not now, please. It hurts now."

I knew he heard me because the blank look in his eyes shifted to a more pained expression.

"I understand if you want to be alone. Just let me know when you're ready to come back." I willed him to look at me with my eyes, but it was no use.

I shut the door and he retained enough of his sane state of mind to wait until I was inside the building before driving off. I watched him leave through the glass door.

I knew it would be no use to call him later; he would need a little more time than that to heal. But I needed answers now. I went upstairs to check on Sondheim and grab my car keys before heading back to the Manor to see Rebekah.

On my way back down to the car I ran into Mrs. Martinez, my downstairs neighbor. She asked how I had been and how my parents were doing. She lived only with her husband, her son a lawyer in Boston, and treated me like a daughter. We talked for a few minutes until I had to inform her that I was on my way out. She waved me off, telling me to have a nice day, but didn't allow me to leave before she could give me one of her sugar skulls. It was Day of the Dead, she informed me before going down the hallway towards the elevators.

Day of the Dead, how fitting for this day gone sour.

I made sure to park as far away from Kol's guesthouse as possible so that he wouldn't know that I was going behind his back to do this. Rebekah was waiting for me, worry on her face especially after my panicked text.

She took me to her sitting room, offering me some tea to calm me. I accepted, but my hands shook as I lifted the dainty teacup to my lips.

"How bad was it this time?" She asked quietly as she sat down next to me. "He's never really come to terms with it."

"Have any of you?" I didn't mean to snap, but it certainly came out that way. "Sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound harsh."

She shook her head slowly, her eyes settling off in the distance. "No, I know. But I suppose you're right…"

This certainly wasn't going to be easy. I just hoped that she wasn't going to break down on me, too. I didn't think that I could handle two in one day.

Rebekah rose gracefully, crossing the room to the little white intercom receiver on the wall. It took me a second to realize it, but she was summoning her brothers. In just a few minutes, Finn appeared first followed closely by Klaus and then Elijah.

"You guys have to help him," was all I could say. "I can't do it by myself."

The four exchanged a look before Elijah finally spoke.

"It was best that you find out for yourself. We've had theories for years, but I think they've just been proven," He let out a sigh before taking a seat on the white sofa in front of me. Klaus went straight for the leather loveseat, preferring to sit alone, while Finn sat on Elijah's other side. Rebekah resumed her previous position next to me.

"How much do you know, exactly?" Finn's voice was a gentle as ever, always the composed brother.

I shrugged. "Not much, just what he was willing to share with me. The bigger picture, really. I can only imagine how much of it he's keeping buried away."

Finn nodded, "We'll start with Henrik, then."

"The three of us," Klaus gestured to his brothers and himself. "We grew up together. Believe me when I say that Kol was just about the biggest surprise that Mum and Dad could ever have gotten, and Rebekah was beyond shocking. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined Henrik. Still, I think they found it comforting that there would be a sort of second generation to grow up together. That's how it was supposed to work out anyway, Kol the oldest this time to lead his little sister and brother. In this family, however, things don't tend to work out ideally."

Elijah shook his head. "He'd be twenty two, still idolizing Kol, no doubt. I need a drink if we're going to do this."

He went off to Rebekah's kitchen in search of a drink. He returned with a tumbler of bourbon.

"There was a six year age gap between Kol and Henrik, not you would've believed it had you seen them," Finn sat back, a small smile curving his lips. "That's the same difference between Elijah and me, but I certainly don't think Elijah idolizes me."

"Hell no," Elijah took a gulp from the tumbler.

Finn gave his brother a playful shove, but continued. "Henrik completely idolized Kol. He followed him everywhere, somewhat akin to a puppy. It was…well amusing. You know Kol well enough to know that he doesn't really _do_…family. For whatever reason, he tolerated Henrik's constant shadow. Looking back on it, it might've been the aftermath of one of Dad's chastisements."

My mind flashed back to that memory of Kol leaving his father's study in tears. Mr. Mikaelson always _did_ have quite the temper.

"Henrik was a good kid," Elijah cut in. "Sure, he got himself into every bit as much trouble as Kol, often times together, but boy could he charm his way out of it. Always had such a big grin on his face, walked straight through hell with a smile, just a generally happy kid. Of course, where do you think he picked up his charm tactics? They did everything together. I'll never forget it, Kol would go out to baseball practice and Henrik would follow close behind, lugging the bag with the bats and gloves in his chubby little five year old hands. He could barely drag it. It was amusing really. Boy, did they love baseball; their life goal was to make it into the MLB hall of fame. They would spend hours on end just throwing the ball around in the back. Once they broke the kitchen window, poor little Henrik took the blame. Imagine Kol's face when Dad decided to put in a diamond out back. It was priceless."

"Whoa, you guys had a baseball field?" I shook my head.

Klaus shook his head. "No, we _have_ a baseball field. It's out near the back of the property. Dad wanted it as far away from the house as possible so as to avoid any more broken windows."

"What?" I cried in disbelief. "And you don't use it."

He shrugged. "It's fallen into disrepair, unfortunately. None of us really play and…well, Kol wouldn't go anywhere near it after…after Henrik. He was set to make the varsity team his sophomore year, he had so much potential. He could've been an all-star pitcher but after that last game, he wouldn't even touch a glove. I actually don't think he's played since."

"He wouldn't tell me any of this," I shook my head, trying to take everything in. "Not even if I tried to force it out of him."

Finn stood to walk around the couch arrangement. "That's because the end was pretty traumatic. It was bad for all of us, to have to watch our brother die without being able to help him. I think that's what hurt Kol the most. He was the best match for the marrow transplant; he was going to save Henrik. It was fitting, really, for him to help Henrik. They were like two peas in a pod; surely you've seen the resemblance. The doctors had hyped it up so much that we were sure it was going to work, and for a while at least it appeared that way. He was doing great, it really looked like we were in the clear, but then it all crashed and burned. Somehow he got sick. Once the doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia, we knew it was over. Kol didn't want to give up, but I think that even way deep down he knew that nothing more could be done. They let him out on hospice—Mother didn't want him to go in that hospital. None of us did. So he came home for a while, and Kol held on fiercely. I swear you haven't lived until you've gotten a pep talk from Kol. I think even _we_ started to think, for just a second or two, that maybe it was just a rough patch. But of course, it wasn't. The last night before…he died…it was raining. A sign perhaps?

"Honestly, it was pouring. And," He chuckled a little. "And Henrik insisted that he wanted to go outside and play baseball in the rain. 'Just like the pros,' he said. None of us had the heart to tell him no, so out we trekked to the field. The rain let up for a little while and we were able to play for a short time. The poor kid could barely stand, he was practically skin and bones by the end. But there we were all of us out on that muddy diamond. He kept telling Kol to pitch to him the 'right' way, no need to go easy on him. I'd never seen him so genuinely happy just to have all of us there."

"But like all good things, it had to end," Klaus was staring at the wall as though he was reliving that night. "At one point, Henrik was too weak to make it around the bases and Kol had to carry him around the diamond. He demanded it, really and Kol had never been able to refuse him anything. By then Henrik was so tired and it had started to pour again. We took him inside, tried to warm him up—the poor thing was shivering. That night, however, he was in a worse state than ever, barely able to breathe. I can remember Mum and Dad rushing him to the hospital in a panic. There was nothing they could do, of course, except try to make him as comfortable as possible. I couldn't stand to be in the room. I didn't have the strength to watch him go."

"He begged Kol to stay with him," Elijah murmured softly from his spot across from me. "Kol didn't want to stay either, but he wouldn't refuse him now. He asked that his big brother hold his hand. Kol told him not to worry, that he wasn't going anywhere. Henrik made him promise to stay. By midnight we knew it wouldn't be much longer. I don't know how any of us held it together. He would pass in and out of consciousness, sometimes long enough to send Mother into a frenzy. She held him, you know, in that hospital bed; cradling her child for the last time. I'd never seen Dad get so emotional. He'd never really been affectionate with us, but there he was, soothingly rubbing Henrik's hair so as to remind him that we were still there."

Next to me, Rebekah let out a shaky breath. "He was so tired," She shook her head slowly. "I remember he kept fighting it. The last thing he asked was it was alright if he went to sleep."

She gave small choked sob, the memory too much for her.

"Kol told him that it was okay," Finn confirmed. "That we would still be there when he woke up."

"The sun was only just beginning to rise," Elijah set his tumbler down on the coffee table. "He was gone at sunrise—fitting for the boy who never stopped smiling."

I felt myself let out an involuntary shaky breath.

"Here," Finn was handing me a tissue. I hadn't even realized that I had begun to cry.

I gave a nod in thanks.

There were a few minutes of silence, in honor of Henrik's memory, before they continued. The story of Mikael's relationship with his son was all the more difficult now.

"Dad would always find _something_ to criticize Kol about," Elijah commented on their complicated relationship. "It only got worse after Henrik."

"He didn't…blame him, did he?" I had to ask. It was possible that he had been the root of all of this.

Klaus gave a heavy sigh. "No, not really. I don't _think_ so. Once however, it _did_ slip out. I don't think he meant it, but I'm sure it hurt just the same."

And there it was.

"After Henrik's death, Kol started to act out. Sure, he had always gotten into trouble, but it was becoming much more frequent," Finn perched himself on the arm of the couch on Rebekah's side. "It was as if he were…punishing himself. Regardless, he sure knew how to push Dad's buttons. And Dad would let him have it. It would get really ugly. Only once did Dad outwardly blame him. Kol had been caught in a fight at school, and Dad was livid. The yelling could be heard from all over the house. Kol told him to leave him alone, what did he care, the favorite was dead anyway. That was when Dad snapped, told him that it might not have been the case if it weren't for him. He didn't mean it. He was irrational from the anger, but I think that's what really pushed Kol to the edge. That was when the _real_ problems started."

I was confused. There were more problems? "The _real_ problems?"

Klaus nodded. "Oh yes, he started hanging around all of the wrong kinds of people, getting into all sorts of illegal activity. Once he and a bunch of his hooligan acquaintances were caught tagging the school. _That _one nearly cost Kol his life when Dad was through with him; didn't let him out of the house for months."

"Dad made him swear never to 'disgrace the family name' again," Elijah nodded. "In the end, it was one of his foolish antics that…broke the camel's back, so to speak. That night that he called to ask Dad to come bail him out after getting arrested for drug possession, Dad lost it. He told him that he was 'no son of his' and he hung up on him. I think the shock of it all was too much…and well…he had a heart attack."

"We called an ambulance, but by the time they arrived, there was little that they could do," Finn sighed. "He died in the hospital on the operating table. I was the one that had to go bail Kol out. I didn't have the heart to tell him right then, though. I didn't think he could handle it, the police had already shaken him up pretty badly."

"Turned out that the drugs weren't even his," Elijah took another drink. "Not that Dad had given him much of a chance to explain. He had been set up, though it didn't matter anymore. It brought back all of the feelings from Henrik's death. Kol checked out nearly the moment we broke the news to him."

Klaus stood, his arms crossed, head bowed in thought. "He blamed himself for it. And sure, to an extent it _was _his fault, but none of us blamed him. Dad had such a bad temper, it could've have happened at any time. Still, he completely shut down. If there was ever a time that he had been more estranged from us, it was then. When the opportunity arose for him to study in England, he jumped at the chance."

"It was surprising, really," Elijah chuckled slightly. "It had been such a long time since he'd actually focused on his studies, that it was strange to see him so adamant about pursing higher education. We have some family in England, so Mother didn't really put up a fight. He hadn't expressed real interest in anything since Henrik's death, so she wasn't going to say no."

"We never imagined that he would be gone for so long," Rebekah finally spoke. "I guess he just didn't want to be here. This is all just a reminder of what happened. It's not difficult to understand why he would stay away."

I felt as though I finally understood. "He thinks that if he stays away, he can save you from harm. He doesn't want to hurt you."

The four of them nodded. Of course they knew. He was their brother.

"I think he's starting to realize that," Elijah spoke slowly. "But he's worried that if he lets his guard down, chaos will…ensue."

"I can see why," I muttered.

"You've…changed him, you know," Finn nodded at me. "He's…different when he's around you."

"You've civilized him," Rebekah agreed. "Domesticated the wild animal."

I hadn't realized how complicated it all was. The Mikaelson family secrets ran deep and surely these were only a few of their problems. Still, it was comforting to know that some were repairable.

"I wouldn't quite say that," I looked down, the blood rising into my cheeks. "Don't get too excited. I think he's done with me for a while. He started to push me away after the cemetery."

Elijah waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. That's just his way of shielding himself from pain. He'll come around eventually. Just give him a little time."

"I don't have a decade," I grimaced a little. I just hoped he wouldn't leave. I had grown so used to having him, that his absence would definitely cause some pain.

Rebekah shrugged. "If he doesn't come crawling back to you in a week, I'll drag him to you by the hair if I have to."

"Ouch."

"He's my brother. I love him, but he needs you. You make him tolerable and I certainly would like him to stay that way."

"That, dear sister, is true," Klaus agreed with a nod. "I haven't seen him smile like he has in the past month since before Henrik got sick. I, too, would like that too remain."

"Mother likes it when all of us are together," Finn put in his two cents. "It just isn't Sunday brunch until Kol flips out."

Elijah and I exchanged an amused look.

I was genuinely pleased to see that his family was willing to step and help him. Of course, it would take him letting them in for any progress to occur, but it was still endearing to know that they weren't going to abandon their brother. If anything, Kol needed them right now. He needed to know that they didn't blame him. It wasn't his fault, none of it was.

"I think I know a way for you guys to help him," I began. "He said that you were going to bring Perry into the studio this week to lay down one of his tracks. I think it would be really great if it was a family affair. After all, it _is_ one of Henrik's good friends. I don't think Perry would mind, but you'd have to convince Kol to let you on somehow."

And surprisingly, he did. All they had to do was ask.

Because Kol was…avoiding me, Elijah was the one who actually sent me the lyrics. I had to admit, that I got a little teary eyed when reading them. It was a beautiful song, though it turned out that Kol had penned some of the lyrics long ago, before Henrik had died. It remained, however, dedicated to Henrik and then later for Perry, as well as all of the children who had been lost too soon.

I watched the video of the recording that Rebekah had taken the night after they had been in the studio. Honestly, it was perfect. The song was uplifting and empowering, while retaining its special meaning through references in the lyrics. I sort of wished that I had been there to see it live, but it wasn't my place. Kol needed this bonding experience with his siblings without me there to influence it in any way. By the looks of how much fun they were having, it had been effective. They collaborated well and the final product was…well, genius.

"Yeah, you can be the greatest. You can be the best. You can be the King Kong bangin' on your chest," Kol had quite a talent for speaking through his music. It made up for his weakness in public speaking.

"You could beat the world. You could beat the war. You could talk to God, go banging on his door," Perry gave such a distinct sound it the song. He made it unique, like a spoken last speech to his old friend.

"Dedicate yourself and you could find yourself standing in the hall of fame," There it was. Kol had done it. It was like he was sharing a pep talk for his brother with the rest of the world. "And the world's gonna know your name, 'cause you burn with the brightest flame. And the world's gonna know your name. And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame."

What really made it special was having all of the Mikaelson brothers join in for a sort of chant. "Be students, be teachers, be politicians, be preachers. Be believers, be leaders, be astronauts, be champions, be truth seekers."

It was the perfect way to pay homage to all of the little lives that had been turned out too soon and to remind those that were still fighting to stay strong. A few weeks later when the hospital board heard it, they decided to make it a sort of theme song for the hospital. The Mikaelsons were happy to sign a contract with them for their use of it.

Despite this, it took Kol a while to really even begin to heal. I knew that he needed space, so I tried to not to pressure him into anything. But his absence left me feeling a little empty, like something was missing.

Stefan was a sufficient distraction, though he completed me in other ways. Little did I know, however, that my time as a pendulum would only become more difficult from there.

**A/N: **Holy cow. What a ridiculously long chapter! I certainly hope you've enjoyed it. Please leave reviews, I promise that I'll respond to every single one! I take all comments, questions, concerns, requests, and protests into consideration.


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